DO THEY KNOW

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

John 13:34, 35

King James Version

Many years ago when I lived in Texas, I had a Sunday school teacher who was a wonderful loving Christian.  I used to have a lot of trouble remembering names.  I was thinking about her one day and couldn’t remember her name.  The next time I saw her, I told her that I couldn’t remember her name.  She smiled and gave me a hug and said something I have never forgotten.  “It’s not important that you remember my name.  What is important and what makes me happy is that you know I love Jesus”.

Do people know you love Jesus by your words and by your actions?  We can say anything but we need to prove we love Jesus by our actions.  I had another Sunday school teacher who was so kind and loving, I knew she loved Jesus.  God used this Sunday school teacher to give me the courage to write devotions.  My teacher gave her testimony one time before she started the lesson and I will never ever forget what she said that day.

She told us there had been a time in her life when she was so depressed that she would go in a closet and stay there all day.  She said her husband didn’t know what to do with her. What she said made me realize that if she had been so depressed and was now teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir and singing specials, maybe I could write devotions with God helping me.

It is so important that we let others know we love Jesus by our words and by our actions.  I will never forget the man who stood up in church on a Wednesday night and gave this testimony.  He said “I am saved today because of my mother.  I saw her kneel beside her bed and heard her pray for me every night”.  If his mother hadn’t prayed for him, that man would not have seen and heard the love of Jesus in her.  Thank God for mothers who love their children so much they pray for them.

Years ago, I read about a lady who was well known and had passed away.  One of the people at her funeral said “She was a kind loving person and I never heard her say one unkind thing about anyone”.  That got me to thinking about my life and the people I had hurt because I refused to forgive them for what they had said and done to me and by my criticizing words and by my actions.  I am so glad we have a loving compassionate Heavenly Father Who will forgive us if we ask Him.

Do people know you are a Christian by your love?  It is so important that parents let their children see the love of Jesus in them.  I saw a movie about a pastor’s wife who took her children with her when she went to a mission to give them food.  Her children saw their mother not only give the people at the mission food, they also saw their mother hugging the people.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will search my heart and if there is anything that hurts You, please let me know so I can repent and get my heart in right standing with You.  Please forgive me for the times that I have hurt You.  Thank You for the privilege You have given me to serve Jesus.  I pray that others will know that I am a Christian and that I love Jesus not only by my words, but also by my actions.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen.

Joanne Lowe

August 25, 2019