We’re almost at the end of our study and it’s time to make a choice. We’ve asked this question for the past twelve weeks, and now it’s up to you to answer.
Will you choose this risky, others-centered life? [Especially if you have just completed the experiment of living it out in the last 24 hours.]
After all, we’ve discussed the others-centered life, how would you define it for yourself?
The selfless life is unglamorous. It requires you to give up what you value the most—your time, your energy, your money, your talents, and your personal preferences. It asks you to say no to yourself and yes to other Christians. It means putting yourself on the line so that your brothers and sisters can thrive.
But choosing that life is worth it.
Because when Christians put each other first, something miraculous happens. Everyone’s needs are met. The risk pays off.
Picture your life as it stands today. Think about all the needs and worries that flood your day. Now imagine if the Christians around you met every single one of those needs without being prompted—just because they love you. How would your life be different?
That’s the kind of life God envisions for his people. He wants us to look out for each other, to risk it all for each other. It’s simple to say, but not so easy to live out.
If that kind of life isn’t happening now in your church, that means someone has to take the first step. Someone has to decide to take the risk on other Christians. Someone has to meet other believers’ needs first.
That’s where you come in.
Spend some time in prayer asking God what He wants you to do next. Pray for one specific step you can take this week to be others-centered, to take a risk. Write down your one risky step.
And then take it.
What one change do you think God would like for you to do from now on to love people more? Share with the group to have others affirm and hold you accountable for it.
Text your response to the above prompting questions to your group and/or share it as a comment below
For the 24 hour challenge a part of my day that I would say requires a lot of Jesus’s sacrificial love would be when I take my sister to and from school. This area typically can go from a reminder from me about a task that ends in her saying a million bad things to me as far as like how I should kill myself. Or when I pick her up it can go from what are you planning on eating today? To you should slit your throat. The most simple interaction I try to have with her because I care about her and love her turns into her trying to argue with me and saying terrible things to me. But regardless, there could be days she had a bad day at school. I would still listen to her vent or talk about whatever she needs to talk about. I shall continue to love towards her in this way to continue to live out God’s word so that it would one day soften her heart to come back to him. As he shall use me as a beacon unto her life. The good news is undeniable. The foundation is set. We must stand firm in the faith and be strong.
So in terms of what to continue to do to love people more is just listening to them more. That’s certainly something God has put on my heart. I tend to spring into action and try to resolve the issue or come up with a solution. Sometimes I just need to listen and that would clear up the fog and God will do the rest. Another part is to just offer more of the services I can offer. I don’t know part of me also feels in this more previous season. I’ve been receiving and taking more than I am giving out to others. I feel like I could be more loving towards my everyone more because I’ve been mainly receiving it seems like.
The one thing I tried to do with love was working. Sometimes my work can be very tedious and difficult because I am always getting pulled in multiple directions with all that is needed. This can cause me to be less patient and short with my coworkers especially when I believe they are not pulling as much weight as they should. Thus in the past 24 hours I just tried to love my coworkers by being more patient and not being upset with any of them. Even though I never express my frustrations to them, even harboring it can be bad so it was nice just to focus on loving them rather than criticizing or judging them. I also tried to focus on this in my general day as well so I made an effort to repeat it like a mantra from time to time throughout the day. I think it definitely helps and I need to focus on this more. I think the one thing God would want is for me to be more patient…I think I was raised to expect a certain standard and sometimes when people don’t meet that standard I can be impatient but like 1 Corinthians when it states that love is patient and I guess it is stated first for a reason.