Which of the people shown here would you most easily interact with? Which would you most likely avoid? Which would you assume you have the most in common with? Which would you assume is least like you? Which one is a good person? Which one is a bad person? Which is poor and which is rich? Which one is a Christian? Which is a Muslim? Which is a witch?
Which of the people shown here need to know about your faith? Which one needs to see your faith in action?
Paul tells us that joining the family of God makes some things relatively unimportant. He tells us that they should no longer live by the artificial distinctions and man-made rules that we lived by before becoming Christians. He tells us that one thing is important:
What is important is faith expressing itself in love. – Galatians 5:6b.
Faith expressing itself in love. Faith in Christ, who saves us. How does faith in Christ express itself? In love. Love for one another. Love for our families and love for complete strangers. Love for those that love us in return and those that despise us. Love for men, women and children. Love for the rich and for the poor. Love for the lovely and the unlovely. Love for Americans and Hispanics. Love for those in our church and those outside it.
Paul tells us that we ought to have a faith that is expressed in love toward others. I would have to think that it would be love as described in 1 Corinthians 13:
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)
So here is my challenge for today: how am I expressing my love to the people around me? Not just the people I know or like or love me back or look like me, but EVERY SINGLE PERSON. How will they know about my faith? To quote an old song, “they’ll know we are Christians by our love”.
