The 40 Day TBC Life Devotion

“Let love be genuine” (Romans 12:9, ESV).
 
The love spoken of in this verse is “agape” and so we understand immediately that we are being told to sacrifice for each other. This is a Jesus kind of love, the Jesus who willingly sacrificed His life for the sins of the world.

Even more difficult is the fact that we are told to lovingly sacrifice for each other sincerely—without pretending, or doing just enough to appear loving. Our love is to be the real deal. This can only come from God Himself. “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
 
I lost my wedding ring just a few years after our wedding when I was playing church league softball. Apparently, it came off when I was removing my fielder’s glove somewhere in the vast expanse of left field. We were barely getting by in those days and so it was not reasonable to consider replacing the ring, and so I went without. February eventually rolled around and Valentine’s Day with it. I was surprised to unwrap a gift from Tina—a shiny new golden wedding band. How did she do it? She sold her piano! She sold the one possession that brought her the most joy in the world so that she could replace something that I had carelessly lost. Her sacrificial love was genuine! –Dave Samples

God calls us to love each other at TBC in the same way—sincerely and sacrificially.

“I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.” –Mother Teresa

How can you be willing to sacrificially love others at TBC? What are some things you can do to begin to, “let love be genuine”?

Dave Samples