This post is from last year’s study, but I wanted to go ahead and share it anyway – because it just really hit home for me. Perhaps for you too.
Sacrificial love affects the family. Through the Word of God, we learn the sacrificial love greatly affects the family. Not only does sacrificial love affect the family, it is why we have a spiritual family in the first place.
Jesus Christ has come to forgive us of all our sins, call us His sons and daughters, and invite us to be a part of His great family!
Sacrificial Love…
This is not something that we only hear about. It is something we also see. When we have family that offers us sacrificial love, it leaves a permanent impact on our lives.
What Kind of Love?
Sacrificing the kind of love we give – means laying down our lives. Maybe, our time, own wants, or the plans we had for our day or possibly life. What kind of love do we often give to others?
Loving Like Jesus
In Luke (6:32-36), we are reminded that Jesus wants us to not only love when it is easy. We are called to even love the difficult-to-love. This kind of love is what sets us apart from the nonbeliever.
Love He Has Shown
For the follower of Jesus Christ, we have been given a tremendous amount of grace. Jesus Christ, Himself, has come and shown us what sacrificial love is.
“But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us (Romans 5:8).”
Love We Can Give
We can love, because He first loved us (see 1 Jn. 4:19). It is because of Jesus Christ that we can love others. We can love others and give of ourselves. And, we can have the strength and resolve to love with a cost. Because of who it is living, breathing, and working in us. And, His name is Jesus Christ! He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Costly Love
We love with a cost, because this is what makes an impact. As it leaves its affect on others, it affects… even changes us in the process.
How are we choosing to love with a cost?
We love with a cost, by choosing to not just love when it is easy. We choose to love and be present when it is perhaps the easiest to walk away.
In Ephesians 5:25-33, we are reminded of what God says to us, His dearly loved, as He invites us to dive into deeper love.
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].
Even so husbands should love their wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, Because we are members (parts) of His body.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. [Gen. 2:24.]
This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church. However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly] [I Pet. 3:2.] (Ephesians 5:25-33 AMP).”
Feature image by Jez Timms.
Gracefully Overcoming 