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Love As a Way of Life
by Dr. Gary Chapman
What if Christians really were? The word Christian means "Christ like." In the first century it was not a name chosen by the followers of Jesus. It was a name given to them by others. The best way to describe these people was to call them Christians. Their lifestyle was based on the teachings of Jesus. Central in these teachings is the command to love.
In fact, Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love our neighbors.
I think "neighbor" starts with the family and spreads outward.
Love begins with an attitude, which in turn leads to acts of service. "How may I help you," is a good question with which to begin.
Today is a good day to express love.
Traits of Love: Kindness
"Be ye kind one to another." We memorized it as children, but have we forgotten it as adults? Kindness is one of the traits of love. Do you consciously think of being kind to others throughout the day? Kindness is expressed in the way we talk as well as what we do. Yelling and screaming are not kind. Speaking softly is. Then there are acts of kindness - things we do to help others.
Mowing the grass for a neighbor who is in the hospital or on vacation is an act of kindness. Washing dishes for the family is also a kind thing to do. Imagine what life would be like is all of us were kind.
Article written by Dr. Gary Chapman. Based on the book, Love As a Way of Life by Gary Chapman. Published by Waterbrook Publishing. For a complete listing of Dr. Chapman's books and resources, click here.
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