Five Easy Ways To Show Love To Others

Jill Taylor |

Be About God's Work As Christians we know that we are to love others. In fact, Jesus tells us one of the two most important commandments is that we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31). Maybe we treat others badly because we don’t really love ourselves. Regardless, that’s no excuse and we can show love for our neighbors by helping them, giving towards them, and sharing with them. If it’s not enough to show love to others because it will put a smile on their face, make them feel good, and help make the world a better place, how about because Jesus said so? I’m sure Jesus had a good reason to command his followers to love others. We can follow this commandment in at least five easy ways, with the emphasis on ways to help our “neighbor”.

Door to Door

The first is door-to-door prayer. We don’t need to wait for people to come inside the church and ask for prayer. Some people do come to church, but feel uncomfortable approaching the altar for prayer. When we go out and extend kind words or prayer, we are (in a sense) bringing the altar to them, to their home. We are showing that prayer works and is welcome no matter where they are ¹ .

Feeding the Needy

We see churches and organizations feeding the hungry and serving those in need. The bible speaks of feeding the poor (Matthew 25:34-40). With so many organizations available ² , there are opportunities to join in on blessing others. It’s a terrific idea to dedicate your time to this much needed cause. It shouldn’t be beneath you to cook a meal or serve plates to others. Any of us could be one paycheck away from needing someone to help us out. Serving a warm meal along with a warm smile is enough to make anyone feel loved.

Help in Home Restoration

Have you heard of programs ³ that rebuild, renovate, or improve homes? They rely on volunteers to give a hand to complete the work. As Christians, we can shine God’s light as we work to make someone else’s home a pleasant and safe place to live. In all we do, we do as to God and restoring a home would be a great place to sow spiritual seeds of blessings and love. Yes, a house is built with material and you may be thinking it’s not that serious to include God while restoring someone’s house. A house is a blessing, a place to take physical refuge, to have a covering, and to create special memories. It would be a loving gesture to help a house become a sweet home for someone else.

Tutor or Mentor

Our youth need direction and love. I was a mentor and tutor in the past and from that experience I’ve learned the importance of being a small part of a child’s life. Even if the child has parents, friends, and family, a mentor is still a huge benefit. Being a Christian mentor would be even better. Some kids have a hard time expressing how they feel, sharing dreams, or being themselves around their family and friends. A mentor can be a person they feel safe with and trust will not judge them, while having an open relationship. Mentoringcould help the mentee develop necessary skills needed to grow up into a loving Christian. Be a Christ-like example ⁴ .

Visit the Elderly

From the children to the elderly, we all need support. The elderly do not always have someone to visit them or emotionally care for them. Visit the elderly in nursing homes or living facilities to show God’s love. We can take them food, talk with them, read with them, or go on a walk. Take time out to spend with someone that would like to be more social but can’t. Think about how loving it would be to look after someone in a home who does not have the ability to speak up for themselves. We could be their mouthpiece, or advocate, to help them stay healthy and safe. I’m sure Jesus would be pleased with us for showing such love ⁵ .

Helping others can be rewarding in so many ways. Not only will you feel good for carrying out loving acts of kindness but you will also be fulfilling a very important commandment that Jesus spoke about, as well as displayed, in his life. If we are to be ambassadors for Christ, we should always look for ways to be a blessing, salt and light unto the earth.

¹ Don’t go alone, check with your local church to see if they minister door-to-door or take a friend.
² http://moveforhunger.org/ and http://feedingamerica.org/
³ http://www.habitat.org/getinv and http://rebuildingtogether.org/
⁴ http://www.unitedway.org/take-action/volunteer/ and www.bbbs.org
⁵ http://www.mowaa.org and http://www.volunteermatch.org/