My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring. [1 John 3:18 (NCV)]

The Apostle John makes it abundantly clear that it is not enough for us to believe; we must both believe and love. Our Christian faith must result in loving behavior. If it doesn’t, there is something wrong with our faith.

We may not like everyone and God doesn’t expect us to do so. But he does expect our actions and words to reveal our faith and our love. Unfortunately, loving all the people around us all of the time can be extremely difficult to do. Loving people from afar seems a much easier concept than loving those we see day after day! Impersonal charity is often simpler than forgiving a brother or being kind to a neighbor. We often find it easier to write a check to a worthy cause than to make our daily words and actions reflect our faith on a personal basis.

We certainly won’t have affection for every person we meet, but we can have love. It is not our politics or words or even our knowledge of the Bible that identify us as Christians; it is our love.

All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other. [John 13:35 (NCV)]