| “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” |
| —1 John 3:16 |
From 1982 through 2002, I traveled extensively, mostly by air. In many of those years, I was traveling 39 out of 52 weeks. As you might imagine, I spent a lot of time in airports.
I was always fascinated by how people acted and reacted in various situations. One of the most interesting phenomenon was watching how people standing in a long line at the check-in counter reacted when a ticket agent opened up an adjacent line.
Some people immediately rushed to the new line. In fact, some of those individuals would elbow their way, even almost knocking other passengers to the ground, in order to be as close as possible to the front of the newly opened line. Others would pause to think about what they should do. Sometimes they would eventually decide to move to the new line. But, they would always end up almost as far back in the new line as they were in the original line. Still others would stay right where they were. As other people rushed to the new line, they would calmly move step-by-step closer to the front. Many times, because of the mass movement to the new line, they would end up far closer to the check-in counter than if they had rushed to the new line.
On very rare occasions, when a rush to the new line began, a few individuals would extend great courtesy to the people rushing to form the new line. They would graciously gesture for others to enter the new line ahead of them. They never pushed or shoved. They never seemed at all frantic to have their own way. They exhibited very calm, patient kindness to their fellow passengers. These last people fascinated me the most. As a very seasoned traveler, I would marvel at their courtesy. At the same time, I would have very warm feelings toward these ones who clearly were making an effort to put others first in a very trying situation.
In writing to the new Christians scattered across the then-known world, the Apostle John made a very important point in 1 John 3:16:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
God-breathed love, given to those who follow Jesus, exudes kindness and courtesy. It starts at home. For believers, that means not only their own homes, but also in their own church homes. Instead of always seeking to have their own way, those who want to show the love of Christ will put others first before themselves.
As we begin a new day, let’s determined to show God-breathed love in the way we relate to others. Let’s put others first. And, let’s “lay down our lives” for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Just imagine how much better our lives, and the lives of the people around us, would be if we did behave in this way.
Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, August 2, 2017
