This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
— 1 John 3:16
The great evangelist D.L. Moody had a keen memory for names and faces. If one of his children was missing from Sunday school, he knew it, and he would do everything possible to find out why.
One day he saw an absentee coming down the street, so he took off after her. She ran down the sidewalk, across the street, up the stairs to a back door. After he chased her down and found her, the mother showed up. Panting from the exertion, Moody simply explained, “I’m Dwight Moody, your child’s Sunday school teacher.”
He told the mother he had missed the girl on Sunday, and would be happy if all the family could come to the services. Within a few weeks, he had every child in the family in his class.
Perhaps you’ve heard of “killing them with kindness,” but it’s true that if you really go out of your way to show someone you care about them, they’ll respond. That’s because one of the greatest needs of human beings is belonging: that sense that there are people out there who truly care about you.
Loving others radically takes effort. And while it may take time, people will respond to that love. So love others; show them you care; and trust God to reveal Himself to them through you.
Prayer Challenge
Pray that God would show you how to radically love others so they’d be drawn to Him.
Questions for Thought
How does it make you feel when others go out of their way to show you they love you?
Who are some people in your life today whom you can love tangibly and radically?