lillian

Somehow I feel that it means much more than just meeting the needs of others. Do we REALLY feel that we would actually, physically DIE for our friends? I know when I had a gun at my head that I was willing to die instead of my kids, that love was truly there. But, do we really have such a love in our hearts for others that we are willing, like Christ was, to actually, physically, die in their place so that they can come to know Him? The Christians in John's time were in those situations of torture for their faith. Many people around the world are in those situations today. Am I, as an American, ready to willingly die for my friends? In their place? Sure, I can meet some of their needs. I can open my home. I can sacrifice "stuff". But, I really feel that this passage is for a deeper love than we can fully imagine. As much as we can, we should meet the needs of others, putting others first, take care of widows and orphans, but if the deep love, the kind of love that Christ shows us, the willingness to die for these people we are helping, is not there, we are missing the mark.