Homework Assignment - Helping Someone Recognize God's Love For Them

Roughly 30 days after completing the 4 day KAIROS program in prison, we go back in with those same inmates and do a follow up instructional day. The purpose for this reunion is to build on the weekend and then to teach those men how do get involved in prayer & share accountability groups. There are five talks that are presented by team members during this one day instructional. The theme of the talks mirrors the questions that we use in the prayer & share group. They are as follows:

1) Can you share any moment when you have known that Christ's presence was with you?

2) Have you discovered anything, anywhere (reading, a message, songs, a study) which will help you to be a better follower of Jesus Christ?

3) Has there been a time when, through some word or action, you tried to help someone recognize God's love for them?

4) Has there been a time when it has been difficult to show Christ's love for another person?

5) Are there things you are thankful for (situations or struggles) that we can pray about together?

I was given the talk to do on #3 which is talking about trying to show someone God's love for them. We are given a brief outline and need to make a 10 minute instructional talk on the subject. I thought I would use this forum to help me put my thoughts together and see how it might turn out.

I believe there are several ways in which we can try to show someone God's love for them, but I will focus on two. One way is to show the person God's love for you by personal testimony and explain that God loves them in the same way. Another way to show someone God's love is to be the hands and feet of God and do a loving act for that person. They will see your actions and see that God is working through you to send His love to them.

We must recognize God's love for us. We can not share what we have not experienced ourselves. The scripture texts are Romans 5:8 "But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" and John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" and finally 1 John 3:16 " Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren".

Simply put, Jesus showed us the ultimate showing of God's love for us by laying down His life for us. Does that mean that we jump in front of a bullet and give up our life for someone else's? Well it could but that would be an extreme case. We can "lay down our lives" for others in simpler ways such as giving of our time and resources to help those in need. We do this not to get paid back by them but because we are compelled by the love of God. Perhaps for most of us this could mean taking the time to write a note or give an encouraging word to someone who needs it.

I believe the two ways are intertwined because it is recognition of the first that compels us to do the acts of the second. People have asked me in the past why I take the time to go into the prison and try to encourage and minister to the incarcerated. The answer is NOT because I am such a great person and upstanding citizen. Left up to my own devices, I would spend those weekends at home watching football or sleeping in. The answer is because I am so grateful for what Christ has done for me that I feel it is only worthy to attempt to do something for others in His name. It is not something I feel obligated to do; it is something I want to do and look forward to get to do. Serving is not a responsibility, it is an honor... an honor I take very seriously. In doing so, I know Christ is with me and that is the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Have there been times I have missed an opportunity to show Christ's love for someone. Of course there has been times. I am far from perfect. I had two instances at the local Food Lion this summer and I took advantage of one, but missed the other.

The first was a young man came up to me in the parking lot saying he needed an additonal $16 to pay the tow truck to tow his car. Now I did not see a tow truck there, he said it was on the way. Without thinking about it, I gave him the $16. He asked me for my address to pay me back but I told him not to worry about it. I did not tell him I did this for Jesus though as I did not want to puff myself up as being a super spiritual christian. Did he really have this crisis or was I conned out of $16? I will never know the answer to that question but in the end it doesn't really matter. I felt God laying it on my heart in that instant to give so I did.

The second instance came in the check out line at Food Lion. A woman 2 people ahead of me in line was buying groceries which came to roughly $60. When she went to pay for them, she was having trouble swiping her debit or credit card and I could see she was flustered. She had to leave all the items there, go home and come back. For an instant the thought popped in my head to go ahead and pay for her groceries but I didn't. I hesitated and then I began to try to logically think it through and rationalize why I should keep quiet and not say anything. As a result, I missed an opportunity to help someone. Who knows, it may have led to a chance to talk about Jesus with her.

I believe God, through His providence, sets up appointments with us and others and places someone in need in our path to see how we will react. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we do well. We are always in a stage of growing and learning and the only way we grow is for God to test us in moments like these. May we all recognize the next "opportunity" we have and seize it to love someone in Christ's name. I leave you with these scriptures from Galatians 6:10 and James 4:17 as food for thought.


Galatians 6:10 "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin."