Love God; Love People

1 Corinthians 16:14 – Your every action must be done in love. (HCSB)

Recently, a post on social media caught my eye. The picture was of a bunch of groceries and doodads in shopping bags. Above the picture were the words, "Grief Groceries".

The story was about a woman who had lost her loved one. A friend called her and ensured that she was going to be home. The friend then came and dropped off a bag of groceries — easy foods to prepare and enjoy, including cookies, ice cream, pasta, and such. The friend didn't ask if she needed anything, but she just brought some items that she knew the woman could use.

That sounded like a great idea. When my father died in August, friends and family came by to express their sympathy. It was all very nice. Of course, there were people who brought food — cake, cookies, chips, chicken salad, bread, and jugs of sweet tea.

I remember my cousin Jamie coming in with a big pan of chipped barbecue meat that he had taken the time to make. After a few long days, that barbecue meat was the best thing that we had received. It froze well and was enough for many meals and sandwiches.

The food was Jamie's expression of love.

Our verse today is a general reminder to do everything with love. As Christians, we are called to live lives full of love, to be nice to others, to be respectful, and to put others first.

It can be easy to be distracted by our own challenges and forget about the needs of others around us. God calls us to love as He loves us, and to serve others with humility and compassion.

Let's strive to live out this verse in our lives, doing it all in love and being a light to those around us.

Love God; love people.

Prayer: Dear God, there is so much from Your Word that we need to learn and apply in our daily lives. One thing in particular is to love others as You love us. It is not always easy for us to do that, because we are human. Lord, help us to overcome those hurdles that keep us from loving others like You love us unconditionally. Amen.