The FOREVER NOTEBOOK

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
1 John 3:18

Nearly a year ago my wife and I decided it was time to downsize. Like many empty nesters our home needs had changed considerably since our sons had moved out on their own. Consequently, we abandoned the bill laden world of homeownership for something simpler and less burdensome. We opted for apartment living.

Almost every day since moving in a gentleman sat outside our front door in a wheelchair. He was a grumpy sort who frequently smoked cigars and chewed tobacco and for whatever reason had claimed a spot near the entrance to our home. One day, not long after moving in, he knocked loudly on our door and complained that I was parking in his parking place. So as not to cause a scene I accommodated him and moved my car wondering why that particular parking spot was so important to a man without a car.

His grumpiness, cigar smoke, and gross ritual of spitting tobacco in a tin can soon resulted in a changed direction as I opted for the back entrance to avoid the unpleasant encounter. Still, his cigar smoke found its way into our apartment as a continual reminder that he was still there.

Soon after my decision to avoid him I began to suffer from a guilty conscience. I knew in my heart of hearts that I should not allow his offensive behavior and habits to keep me from being in a position of ministering to him. Behind all that gruffness was probably a man who could benefit from some words of encouragement.

In the days that followed I made it a point to try to speak to him. At first he would ignore or barely acknowledge my attempts at conversation. My wife also joined in the mission and offered him things she had baked which he also rejected. Gradually he began to thaw and his demeanor toward us changed, the conversations grew longer, and he even got to the point where he greeted us cheerfully.

Eventually I learned his story of how he had suffered a stroke seven years ago confining him to the wheelchair. I also learned that he was my age, loved the Lord, and that his grumpiness was the result of severe pain and emotional stress from his disability. The better I got to know him the less bothersome were the cigars and chewing. I realized that they were the few pleasures still available to him.

Not long ago he disappeared from his familiar spot. His sister shared that his condition had deteriorated and that he was in intensive care at the hospital. A few days later he died.

In today’s focus scripture we read, “let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” The context has to do with following the Lords commands to live righteously and to love others sacrificially as Christ loved us. Oftentimes we save the sacrificial part of our love for those closest to us while ignoring the needs of others.

Sacrificial love does not always involve great sacrifice of finances or personal resources. Sometimes sacrificial love is a simple offering of kindness from a cheerful heart. The sacrifice comes when we refuse to allow anything to keep us from demonstrating love to the unlovable. Sacrificial love gets past offensive or unpleasant behavior, habits, and conditions and gets to the needs of the individual.

If you don’t love that unlovable person who will? If you don’t show them the love of Christ who will? That person that you are rejecting or avoiding may have been targeted by God for ministry. Don’t make the mistake of failing to carry out your mission.

Listen to that inner voice of the Holy Spirit in such matters. In verses 19 and 20 of 1 John we read, “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.” If you truly belong to Christ there will be times when the Holy Spirit checks your behavior and reminds you of your responsibility. The day I determined to take the back entrance instead of the front I knew that I was avoiding God’s assignment for me.

Is there an assignment from God that you are missing? Isn’t it time that you show some sacrificial love by putting your own feelings and biases aside so that you can be obedient to the voice of the Spirit?