Congratulations...

 If you are reading this post - congratulations! Today is the last of Love 40 days.

Thank you for sharing this journey. Thank you for giving the time and the effort to stretch yourself to obey the commandment of John 13:34: Love one another.

We hope that while maybe not always easy, you have found this Lent challenge worthwhile. We hope that you have found something new in this application of God's word that has allowed God to work in your life. We hope that you have made a new connection, deepened an existing connection or re-established an old connection with somebody who needs to be loved by you. We hope that you have been challenged and inspired during the past forty days.

It would be great to hear from you in the comments below if you made it to the end - even if you missed some days! Don't forget you can share any of your favourite experiences, stories or verses in the comments, even today.

It has been a great 40 days. But let's not leave it there. While you might not be pulling out names next week, let's all continue to be on the lookout for the people that God is placing in our path as we continue to live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ...

Be blessed. See you next year!!



Day 40: He lives...

Tomorrow we celebrate Easter Sunday - the day that changed the world forever.

The story of the resurrection is the most wonderful ending to the greatest love story ever told. You can find it in John 20. The Son of God, slaughtered like a common criminal, fulfils the prophecies of old and the words from his own mouth and rises again - claiming the victory over sin forever for everyone who believes in him.

In Romans 5:6-11, Paul summarised this amazing truth as follows:

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people woudl not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation. For since our friendship was God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

We are friends of God. Let us live life as friends of God today - and love others with everything that we have.

Day 39: Forgiven...

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish by have eternal life. (John 3:16) This is love. Today we remember the greatest act of love that anyone will ever show.

Try to take time today to read the story of Jesus's arrest, trials and crucifixion. It never makes easy reading, but let it speak to your heart today. A good place to find the story is John 18-19.

Jesus helps us to know how to respond to the enormity of the sacrifice that he made for us in Luke 18:13-14: But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

We all have a list of things that we wish we hadn't done. Other people might think our list might be short, but we know that it is too long to write. Our list is covered by the love of God - we do not need to be condemned by it. But we should remember the words of Jesus in Luke 7:47: "I tell you, her sins - and they are many - have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love."

We know that are sins are many. We know we have been forgiven much. Let us show Jesus much love today. And let us allow him to fill us so that we might show the people on our name slips much love too - so that they might understand the love and forgiveness that we celebrate today.

Day 38: Passover...

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day that we remember Jesus sharing the Passover Meal with his friends. We remember Jesus breaking bread and sharing wine with his friends and encouraging them to continue doing so in remembrance of his sacrifice. You can find the story of the Last Supper in Luke 22:7-30. There are also two other parts of the story of Jesus' Passover evening to challenge us as we seek to finish up our 40 days of living a life filled with love, following the example of Christ...

Firstly, take a look at John 13:1-17. Before the disciples sat down to eat together, Jesus washed their feet. This was the job of the lowliest of servants, which was why Peter was initially adamant that Jesus should not wash his feet. But Jesus was demonstrating that he came to serve - and we are seeking to follow his example. Jesus says in John 13:14-17: Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. How true it is that a servant is not greater than the master. Nor are messengers more important than the one who sends them. You know these things - now do them! That is the path of blessing.

Washing feet was a cultural tradition - it would be up to you whether or not this is how you would choose to love the person on your name slip today. But the action of serving another person in the lowliest of ways, truly serving their needs in a way that they don't expect, laying yourself on the line - that is the way that we are called to love today.

Secondly, take a look at John 17, Jesus' prayer following the Passover meal. This is the prayer that Jesus prays for us: all who will ever believe in [Jesus] because of their testimony. There is so much to take from this chapter. John 17:22-26 says this: I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are - I in them and you in me, all perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began! O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you. I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them.

Let us pray that we may be united with Jesus and with each other in love. Let us pray that through this unity the world - our person on the name slip - will know that Jesus was sent for them. Let us pray that we - and our loved ones - would understand that God loves us as much as God loves Jesus.

Any other thoughts on these passages - please put them in the comments...

Day 37: The rest of the week...

On Monday we looked at the story of the triumphal entry. Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, and then we have Good Friday and Easter Sunday only days away now. But Jesus wasn't just hanging around, chatting over with his disciples about how great it was when he came into town on the donkey, while he waited for the soldiers to come and get him. Let's remind ourselves of Jesus' actions in Jerusalem leading up to Passover.

- Jesus wept over Jerusalem
- Jesus cursed the fig tree
- Jesus cleared the Temple, driving out the merchants and their stalls
- Jesus taught in the Temple every day, using parables and scriptures to help people understand
- Jesus gave answers to the priests and teachers who tried to trap him with questions
- Jesus referred to himself as the cornerstone
- Jesus taught his disciples about giving using the example of the widow's offering
- Jesus was anointed with perfume at Bethany
- Jesus talked about his death and resurrection to prepare his followers for what was to come

You can find these events, and more, in Matthew 21-26, Mark 11-14, and Luke 20-22. If you can, choose one of the gospels and read the chapters through, allowing the words to speak to your heart today. Please share any thoughts or revelations that you may have as you journey through Holy Week with Jesus, by using the comments section below.

Day 36: Food and fellowship...

Is a picture of a dinner plate a little odd for Holy Week? Maybe not...

One of the many things we can notice about Jesus on a reading of the Gospels is that he shared his life, light and love with people while they shared a meal together. Jesus ate with Zacchaeus, he was eating at Simon's house when the woman anointed him with expensive perfume, he was due to eat with Martha, Mary and Lazarus and their friends, since we know that Martha was preoccupied with dinner plans. While he was preaching to the crowds out on the hills, he knew they needed to eat and take time to be physically refreshed while they were also being spiritually refreshed by the words of his preaching - and provided a meal for over five thousand of them.

The long Easter weekend is coming up. You may have lots of plans to see friends or family, you may not. This week, particularly with the extra days away from work, you may have extra opportunities to be hospitable and to open up your home or your diary to share a meal with one of your people to love. When you share food, you have the opportunity to share fellowship. As you share fellowship you can deepen friendship. As friendship deepens, new opportunities to love arise and it becomes easier for people to understand that hope that lives within you.

Think about it. Pray about it. And invite somebody to share food and fellowship with you this week.

Day 35: The triumphal entry...

Yesterday was the day in our remembrance of the first Easter that we know as Palm Sunday. Our name for this day comes from the reference in Mark 11:8 which mentions that Jesus' followers cut down leaves to wave in celebration as he entered Jerusalem. Our versions of the Bible probably head the telling of the "Palm Sunday" story as "The triumphal entry." You can find the full story in Mark 11:1-11 and in Luke 19:28-40.

The name "Palm Sunday" is fine and easy to remember, but if we read these two Bible passages in full today, we will see that the leaf-waving is only part of the story. If you have been following Jesus for a while you will probably have read this story many, many times, but take the time to read the story afresh today.

Imagine how the disciples who were asked to go and take the colt felt - were they nervous at taking someone else's donkey? Were they amazed when things happened exactly as Jesus told them it would?

Imagine how they felt when the crowds started to gather around the man they had been following for three years - the man they knew to be the Messiah. We read this story knowing how their week will end, but they hadn't understood Jesus' warnings. Were they thinking that finally the world had realised what they had known for a while? Were they imagining ahead at their nation embracing their Saviour and maybe seeing the Romans overthrown?

Imagine what the praise sounded like on the streets of Jerusalem. If you have ever been part of a large gathering of Christians praising God (at a stadium or Bible camp, for example), recall the memories you may have of that large number of voices singing in praise. And as Luke 19:40 reminds us, had the people not declared the praise of God for the arrival of Jesus "the stones along the road would burst into cheers."

This was a day of triumph - a day where people cried out: "Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Today, you may have a chance, like those crowds gathered on the streets of Jerusalem, to declare Jesus' name to somebody that you are trying to love. You may have a chance to share the story of how you found your Messiah and how you know the King who comes in the name of the Lord. If you have that chance please take it - and take it with boldness and celebration, like those singing as they waved their leaves. If you don't have the chance to use words to shout and declare the truth, then use your loving to speak the same truth. Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord by serving the person he puts into your life today - by appreciating them, or helping them, or listening to them, or feeding them, or encouraging them, or giving them a hug, or smiling.


Day 34: The bridegroom's friend...

Next week is Holy Week - the week leading up to Easter.  We are going to spend time every day thinking about the events of the week that changed the world forever.  Today, we are going to remember the part that John the Baptist had to play, as an example for us to follow...

John the Baptist came to Israel, fulfilling the words of one of the ancient prophets - Isaiah 40:3: He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: 'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road for him!' John himself confusesd people, as we find in John 1:19-23. People wanted to know if he was the Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet. People found God through him, and repented, and sought to change their lives. And when Jesus started his ministry, people started to follow Jesus instead, as John's disciples noticed: Teacher, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you said was the Messiah, is also baptising people. And everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us. (John 3:26)

But John knew who he was in God - who he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to do - and he was secure in his Lord. Taking John as our example today, let us read and dwell upon his response to his confused followers, found in John 3:27-36:

God in heaven appoints each person's work. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him - that is all. The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom's friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom's friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. I am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth, but he has come from heaven. He tells what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! Those who believe him discover that God is true. For he is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God's Spirit is upon him without measure or limit. The Father loves his Son, and he has given him authority over everything. And all who believe in God's Son have eternal life. Those who don't obey the Son will never experience eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon them.

There is so much that we can take from this passage to help us as we seek to love one another. We can use it as a basis of our prayers today - however you feel most led. Here are some starting ideas...
- Thank God in heaven that He has appointed your work today...
- Ask God to help you as you seek to prepare the way for Jesus in the lives of those you love...
- Offer your life to the Lord that he would must become greater as you become less...
- Thank God that our loved ones believe in Jesus they will discover that God is true...
- Ask God for His Spirit to fill you without measure or limit...
- Rejoice that God gave the Son authority over everything - and Jesus passed this authority on to us...
- Intercede for your loved ones who don't know God, and ask for His grace and mercy to be upon them so that they may experience eternal life...

Day 33: Show joy, shine bright, dream big...

As Love 40 days starts drawing to a close, can you think back over the journey you have taken so far?  Has God taken you to places you never thought you would go?

Philippians 4:13 says: I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.  This does not say, I can do some things, ot the things I like, or the things I know I am good at - it says everything!

In the last week of Love 40 days it could be time to let God take you that bit further...

Where can you make a loving difference today?  It will look different for each one of us.  It might be a little display of love, it might be a big one...

It could be that the thought of connecting with a stranger terrifies you - maybe God is encouraging you to smile at someone you don't know or start a conversation with someone who isn't a friend yet - commuters, shop assistants, other parents in the park...

It could be that you have acquaintances who don't know that you know Jesus - maybe an opportunity to offer to pray for a situation might come up today and you can be on the lookout...

It could be that God has placed a dream of love in your heart, a passion for his children in this broken world and an idea of how you could help him bring hope - a big dream that can only work if God turns up - maybe you could share this with someone today so that you can be held accountable for praying it into reality...

Jesus will give you strength for everything - all the challenges, conversations, changes...

What is God placing on your heart?  Show joy, shine bright, dream big...

Day 32: Journey to love...

We all know that we are on a journey - that someday God has promised to complete the work He started in us - but that we are not there yet.  Helppfully for us, we have an outline of some of the stages of the journey in the Bible - found in 2 Peter 1:5-8:

Make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-contral with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

You can find other ways of looking at this in other versions of the Bible.  There's a lot to think about in this list and we aren't going to get it all straight away. But God will help us build little on little and grow more and more. Even during Love 40 days, you will have grown in this way. Be encouraged to begin this week continuing to grow - and ask God for each of these qualities as you seek to have His love for everyone today.



Day 31: Recap...

To help us remember what it is that we are doing here with Love 40 days, here is a quote from C.S. Lewis from The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses:

If you asked 20 good [persons] today what they thought the highest of the virtues, 19 of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old [they] would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance. The negative ideal of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point. I do not think this is the Christian virtue of Love. The New Testament has a lot to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself.

We are drawing towards the end of Lent now - on the final stretch - and hopefully the opportunity to practice loving one another has helped us draw closer to God in a new way. Lent is traditionally the remembrance of Jesus spending forty days in the wilderness, fasting, praying and withstanding temptation. It is all about sacrifice. Love 40 days will have been a sacrifice for you in some way - the sacrifice of freedom, of putting yourself first, of giving time to pray and read this blog! But you are also seeking to put something of Jesus in where you are seeking to put something of yourself out...

We have spent a great deal of time over the past weeks thinking about what Lewis terms the Christian virtue of Love - try to spend time today praying about whatever it is that God is speaking to you about from Lewis's challenge.  If you spent time thinking about the virtues of 1 Corinthians 13 at the beginning of this challenge, maybe revisit some of the words today to remind you of the calling that God has given you...

30 days done...

We are now into the school Easter break - only 10 days of Lent left and your box is probably starting to look a little empty.  Hopefully you have learnt something about God, yourself or love during the past month and are getting ready to celebrate the greatest love of all in a week and a half's time.

Can you take a few minutes today to share the love with others on the Love 40 days journey by posting an encouraging verse or story from your experience of the past few weeks.  It is always good to know we are in this together!  Even if it is a note to say you're still going!

Day 30: Fishing in unexpected places...

Take a moment and put yourself in the shoes of the person whose name is written on your slip of paper today.  They are going about their daily lives as usual, not knowing that God is using you to send some love their way today.  They don't know that God has a plan for them.  They don't know that God put their name in your head while you were writing your name slips.  They have no idea that their journey might move a step closer to God today...

Throughout the New Testament we find stories of people who thought that they were going about their business, or thought they were encountering God on their own terms, but God had plans to blow their minds.

Think about Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-11. We read that he wanted to get a look at Jesus. He thought that he was just following his own curiosity and checking out the local celebrity of the hour. Little did he know that Jesus would stop at his treetop viewing post, invite himself for dinner, and change Zacchaeus' life, relationships and work ethic forever.

Think about the beggar at the Beautiful Gate in Acts 3:1-11. He thought at best he might get a coin from Peter and John, and would have seen a financial donation as a win. He wasn't thinking that these men would call upon the name of Jesus to bring healing to his legs, meaning that he would be able to live life in a way that he had never experienced or imagined would be possible.

The person on your name slip is not expecting an encounter with God today. But God is wanting an encounter with them. And that is where you come in.

Are you expecting to be part of the unexpected? Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with love, anticipation and faith today. Keep your eyes and ears open and be ready to be guided by His promptings. And don't be afraid to ask God for big, unexpected things...



Day 29: Extreme fishing...

When the disciples really got down to fishing, they really got down to fishing.  And we are called to do the same.

When we read the book of Acts, we find that this group of men, transformed by the love of Jesus, went out and transformed the world by loving like he did.  In Acts 2 we see the disciples filled with the Spirit preaching the love of Jesus to people in the streets of Jerusalem, seeing thousands come to salvation.  In Acts 3 we see Peter love the crippled man outside the Beautiful Gate by praying for him in the street rather than offering him a short-term fix of a coin or two.  In Acts 4 we see the believers coming together as a community, sharing possessions and finances with neighbours and friends in true generosity.

The disciples were extreme fishermen.  They took the words of Jesus and lived them.  They didn't take any half measures.  They heard the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and put them into practice.  Extreme generosity, extreme faith, extreme forgiveness, extreme service - extreme love.

And the results are still evident today.  We are followers of Jesus because these original followers of Jesus loved with extreme love and did some extreme fishing.

How can you do some extreme fishing today?  If you can take some time, read some of the book of Acts today.  Be challenged by the response of the disciples and apostles and ask God to show you what extreme love looks like for you today!

Day 28: Gone fishing together...

When Jesus called the disciples to become fishers of men they already knew a fair amount about fishing, being fishermen and all...

The image that might pop into our minds when we think of fishing is of a solitary guy stood on the side of a lake with a fishing rod and crazy tall wellies, catching one fish at a time.  This is not the image that Peter and Andrew would have had...

These guys were used to fishing together, throwing out huge nets and pulling them in as a team, heavy with full catches.  And so when Jesus sent out the twelve or seventy-two in teams to catch people with the love of Jesus they had experienced, going out together was second nature to them.  No boats or nets, but a corporate, working-together approach to bringing in the catch nevertheless.

We can learn from this approach too.  We need to be working together whenever we can.  Is there a way you could introduce a non-believing friend to another believer so that their circle of Christian friends increases?  Is there somebody on another person's Love 40 days slip today that you could be praying for in addition to your own name? Are their friends or colleagues of your family members who you could be loving, to widen the net and make it easier to pull them in?

Team fishing - see who God lays on your heart today... 

 

Day 27: Gone fishing...

When Jesus called his disciples in Matthew 4:18-20 his invitation to them was not that they follow him to learn the truths of the universe, although they did.  It was not that they follow him to learn godly wisdom or a new way of living, although they did. It was that they follow him to become "fishers of men." In the New Living Version we read: "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" In The Message this is translated: "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass."

Jesus' initial call to Peter and Andrew was that if they followed him they would learn how to love others - to bring others into his Kingdom. They might not have understood exactly what he was saying to them, but we know that they dropped their nets straight away, no questions asked, and followed him. And then saw the world change as people came to know salvation through Jesus Christ.

We too are called to this mission. We might not see netfuls of people affected by our love today as those early net-fishing disciples did, but we can and should expect that as we love the person we pull out today with the love that God gives us, that they will be changed. Jesus will show us how to fish for people too. Even if we just take our rod and go after the one "fish". Because God's net is quite big enough to cast over our town, our city, our nation and gather in His catch. We just have to be willing to go fishing...

So be encouraged - get your net or rod and go fishing with Jesus today...


Day 26: Thinking...

Have you ever played a word association game where you have to say the first word that comes into your head when your hear another word?  When you first started Love 40 days, what word might you have thought about when you heard the word "love"?  Would that word be different now?  Has this journey changed your thinking about love at all?  If it has please do share that in the comments below.

Our thinking about love should be changing.  Our old thinking might associate love with romance, selfish love, love given to get our own way, or feelings-based love.  Hopefully our new thinking can see the love shaped by the word of God.  In Romans 12:2 it says: Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God's will for you which is good and pleasing and perfect.

 

Ask God to continue to transform the way that you think about love - from the flawed human experience you may have had to the way that he loves you (see the earlier posts for a reminder!).  Allow him to continue to grow your mind and your heart to love with his love today.

Day 25: Take my life...

Over the past few days we have been seeking to be obedient to God's commandments, to follow Jesus and love one another, to be humble and walk in his ways - to have Love 40 days play a part in our personal journey to offer our lives as worship to Almighty God, for his glory.  This song by Tim Hughes can help us convey our heart's cry in response to our recent readings.  If you are able to use the song as part of your personal devotions today, you can hear it here.  Otherwise you can use the lyrics below as a prayer of surrender and thanks to God:

What good is it to gain the whole world but lose your soul?
What good is it to make a sweet sound but remain proud?
In view of God's mercy, I offer my all

 

And take my life, let it be everything, all of me
Here I am, use me for Your glory
In everything I say and do, let my life honour You
Here I am living for Your glory

 

The road I'm on that leads nowhere without You
And the life I live that finds meaning and surrender
In view of God's mercy, I offer my all

 

And take my life, let it be everything, all of me
Here I am, use me for Your glory
In everything I say and do, let my life honour You
Here I am living for Your glory

 

Seeking first the Kingdom
Seeking first the Kingdom
Of my Lord

 

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Day 24: Motive check...

Today it is time for a little motive check...

It may seem silly to think that trying to obey Jesus' commandment to love others could be a temptation to us but it can be so easy to slip into pride, self-righteousness and thinking that we can do great things by ourselves.  Are we really trying to serve the person on our name slip today purely to show them love, or is there part of us that enjoys feeling good about ourselves and wants to draw attention to our good deeds? 

Can we be really honest with ourselves today?

Let's use the words from Philippians 2:3-4 to help us stay pure of heart as we love others:

Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others.  Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

When we ask him, God will give us the humility we need to love the way that Jesus - the Servant King - loved.  Take time to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to your heart today.