Over the past two Sundays, we’ve had the opportunity to hear from Mary Cho, a missionary who serves in Sierra Leone, as well as Donnett and Daniel who shared about a new mother and baby survival program that Compassion is starting in Rubongi. Later this month, we’ll be hearing more about refugee ministry as well. Sierra Leone, Uganda, the Middle East – it feels like we’re traveling the globe on our Sundays this month!
As we shared in Communion this past Sunday, a memory verse from 2022 came to mind, from 1 John 3:16-18:
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. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
As I think about this verse for our church, I see both a reason to celebrate as well as a challenge for us.
In the second part of the verse, we’re taught that if we have material possessions and see a brother or sister in need, we should have compassion on them. As a church, I think we can safely say that we are people who have some material possessions.
At the same time, God has been showing us some tremendous needs locally and globally. Just this month, Mary shared about her work with blind students that we support through her ministry. We learned about the great need for support for mothers in Rubongi as they care for their children in the village. We’ve heard about the need for refugee sponsorship for those who have had to flee their homes because of persecution. We’ve learned about trauma care, including in the context of refugees in Greece.
In all of these situations, and more, we’ve been able to respond not only with words but with actions. As a church that has material possessions, we’ve been able to respond to those in need that God has brought to our attention. And as Mary and Compassion have shared, our response has already started to bear fruit! This is a big reason to celebrate.
But at the same time, I think the first part of the verse also presents us with a challenge.
“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.”
The message here is simple, but bold. We know what love is because we’ve seen how Jesus laid down His life for us. And here is the challenge–to do the same, by laying down our lives for others.
Every Sunday when we celebrate communion, we remember how Jesus laid down His life for us. The bread and the cup are tangible reminders of this. But I think something that the verse teaches us is that one of the most important ways that we can honor what Jesus did for us is by following His example.
As we remember how Jesus laid down his life for us, Sunday after Sunday, we should also remember how Jesus calls us to lay down our lives for others. Lifespring family, I believe our church is on a journey of learning what it means to lay down our lives for others. We celebrate all that God has done, and how God has used our material possessions and surplus to respond to the needs of those around us. But God also challenges us to an even greater calling, to lay down our lives. As we walk this journey together, let’s make an effort to stay in step with the Holy Spirit as we learn what it means to lay down our lives for others.