4:231 – Before You Act, Ask This One Question!

#faithbites #faithjourney before

Setting

Today was the first day of school for my daughters. I wanted to do a #faithbites on back to school so I did some scripture googling. While there were many about being strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9), a verse took me in another direction. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV) says, “Let all that you do be done in love”. This is so impactful and also common sense. (But we know that common sense, isn’t!).

Whether it is back to school, back to work, politics, protests, getting groceries, or conversing with someone, before you do it ask yourself, “Am I doing this in love”. If you can’t answer yes, then maybe you should be doing it.

Today’s Questions: Do you ask yourself if this is being done in love before you do something? How would you life or actions change if you asked that to yourself before you did anything?

Scripture

• 1 Corinthians 16:14 – “Let all that you do be done in love.”
• 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) – Above all, love each other deeply, because lvoe covers a multitude of sins.
• John 15:12 (NIV) – My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Reflection

It all boils down to love, doesn’t it. Jesus tells us to love God and love our neighbors. He furthers this by saying that we should love each other as he loved us. That’s it. I know we’ve talked about love a lot here at #faithbites, but we do so because it is critical. Love should be the first thing on our minds and the last. Before we act, we should ask if we are doing it in love.

Confession time here, I don’t always ask this before I act. I often act in anger, frustration, or self-interest before love. This is a sin and one I’ve begged forgiveness for. It is one that I have to work on daily. It is a simple concept to always act in love, but putting it into practice can be hard. Jesus isn’t asking for perfect, he is asking for us to try and get better at it. Thank God for Christ’s forgiveness.

As we close, remember to ask yourself if you are doing something in love before you do it.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for loving us. You loved us first and want us to act as you do. Help us to always think about love before we act. It is hard to come back from a mistake and we are so thankful that you forgive us all our sins. Lord, we pray for you to make us people of love, doing all things in love. In your name, we pray, Amen.