Love In A Way That Shows It
I can remember the days when Pop-Tart crumbs squished between the seats were a sign of rushed morning and quick attempts to make it to the elementary school parking lot before the bell rang. Climbing out of my mom’s white GMC, I debuted my look for the day: A trendy Justice T-shirt that said, “Love 1 Another,” and a rhinestone headband that topped off slightly uneven pigtails. The look went very well with my matching zebra lunchbox and backpack, also in style at the time.
I would begin walking to class, turning my back only once before turning around a second time to flash the sign- our sign. It wasn’t a secret, but it was special. My mom and I established it on the second day of kindergarten after the carline incident. On the first day, my attempts of screaming, “I love you,” were drowned out by the commotion of car doors slamming and bells ringing. So later that night, she taught me to put two middle fingers down, point the index and pinky fingers up, and stick the thumb straight out. That was the sign.
On the second day of school, I climbed out of the car and flashed what we had practiced. “I love you” in sign language was a MUCH easier way than screaming at the top of my lungs. It was our way of showing what we couldn’t speak, and we’ve been doing it ever since.
Carline gestures and secret codes are pretty neat, but the sign has a much deeper meaning. Just as we had to show that we loved each other by using a sign, we can show love through the actions we take when the words we say get drowned by noise.
Simply put: Love is an action, not a word.
The best example of this is Jesus and His ministry while He was on earth. The Bible tells stories of how He loved the people around Him with the ways He served, discipled, and walked alongside the people who needed it most. As followers of Jesus, we are to live our lives in a way that reflects Him. Because of this, we are to live in a way that shines His love because Jesus IS love.
The book of John has the best stories of how Jesus lived His life, and it’s been teaching me a lot about areas where I can love people more like Jesus.
There’s the story of Jesus meeting the woman at the well and how He showed her grace and mercy when most people wouldn’t have. She was a Samaritan woman who struggled with deep sin. Rather than leaving her at the well with guilt and shame, He filled her well with Living Water, mercy and redemption. This type of mercy is only found in His love.
There’s also the story in chapter 5 of Jesus healing the disabled man who other people labeled “invalid.” I wrote more about this story in “Meet People Where They Are, Not Where You Think They Need To Be.” (Click the title to go to that blog). A man who didn’t look or act like everyone else was typically ignored and forgotten about, but Jesus saw the man where he was and made him well. Jesus saw the man’s validity and value when no one else did, and He physically healed the man. This type of healing is only found in His love.
Next, there’s the story of Jesus and the woman who committed adultery. A crowd wanted to stone her for her sin as a punishment and condemnation for her wrongdoing. Rather than convict her, Jesus said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone,” (John 8:7). Jesus not only forgave the woman, but He stood with her and protected her. This type of forgiveness is found only in His love.
In chapter 9 Jesus heals a blind man. And then in chapter 11 a man named Lazarus suddenly died. Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, lived in Judea, which is where Jesus had just escaped because the Jews were trying to stone Him. When Jesus heard the news, He traveled all the way back to the city where people were trying to kill Him so He could be with Mary and Martha. He did this because “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,” (verse 5). Skip a few verses down, and the shortest verse in the Bible is recorded where it says, “Jesus wept,” (verse 35). Jesus cried with them, He grieved with them, and then He healed Lazarus by bringing him back to life. This type of empathy is found only in His love.
Chapter 13 is where it hits the hardest. The night before the crucifixion, Jesus knew some of his disciples would betray and deny Him 24 hours later. But still…. He got down on His knees, taking the lowest position of a servant, and washed their feet.
How humbling.
Jesus, the Son of God, got on His knees the night before He would be crucified on a cross for the sins of man- including the disciples he was with- and washed feet. This type of love is love in action.
Then I think: Just as Jesus fully knew at that moment who would betray Him, He fully knows me and all the ways I will go against Him. Yet, He still died for me.
In all of these stories, Jesus didn’t just walk up to the people and say, “I’ll pray for you,” and then leave. He acted. He served. He washed their feet. He SHOWED them He loved them. To attempt to have this kind of love, we cannot fully grasp without experiencing Christ’s love for us. And oh, what a wonderful thing it is!
This type of love is found only in Jesus. Jesus is perfect love, and His love for me is perfect.
“By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers,” (1 John 3:16). We aren’t always called to literally die for someone; but we are called to die to our pride, selfishness, greed, impatience, and bad attitudes; and we are to love our brothers and sisters in their hurt. We are to be the love of Jesus- it’s not an option, it’s a command.
Sometimes I find myself doing the opposite of this. God has slowly been revealing to me that my subtle excuses of “I don’t have time,” or “I’ll just send that friend a quick text and hope they’re okay,” isn’t thoughtful or loving- it’s lazy and unempathetic.
I want to be the one who loves others and loves them well. I want to be the one who loves through action, not just my words. I want to be the one who loves like Jesus: serving, encouraging and walking with others.
Growing up, my friends would ask why I did the sign with my mom because it became a habit anytime I left to go somewhere. My answer to them was always the same- so she knows I love her even when she can’t hear me. The noises of this world are distracting- let’s love others in a way that shows we love them when they can’t always hear it.
Love is an action, not just a word. I’d say showing people we love them is a pretty good habit to make.
One Comment
Ma
I love this so much, Ashtyn.