How to Love Jesus More - The Crosswalk Devotional - February 12
How to Love Jesus More
By Kelly Balarie
Bible Reading:
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”– Matthew 25:40 NIV
I knew I needed to turn around. I felt that little tug on my heart – the one that says to me, “Kelly, pay attention.” I knew what the tug was about too… Yes, I certainly saw that man on the corner of the road needing help, needing money. But no, in my rush to get where I was going, I did not stop. I passed him by. I kept on driving.
It’s never convenient to obey God; but it is always necessary to do so. So, I told the kids we had to delay our plans to get to their exciting destination. I made a U-turn and pulled up next to the man.
I struggled to get some money out of my wallet and then passed some dollar bills out the window to the homeless man. While doing this, I looked in his eyes and said a prayer, “May God richly supply all your needs…”
Yet, as I said this, something hit me. It wasn’t the man’s smell, his dirty clothes, his scrubby face that caught my attention, but it was his eyes. They looked like Jesus’ eyes. Wow. I could see Jesus. In these eyes, humility, sympathy, meekness, love, and care that resembled what I would think Jesus’ eyes would look like. Wow. The eyes of this man revealed the heart of my God.
I was in awe.
I guess it's no wonder why we are told in Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Frankly, we get the opportunity to look at Jesus all the time. As we love the least of these. As we love the hurt, the sick, the traumatized, the mentally ill, the broken, the discouraged, the rejected, the widows, the alcoholics, the grieving – we truly love Jesus. Jesus is readily found in the eyes, in the words, in the wounds, in the embrace, in the thankfulness, in the hardship, in the humility of the least of these – if we have spiritual eyes to see whom we are really loving.
But, I wonder, are we willing to engage with the least of these? Are we willing to turn back around? To go out of our way for them? To give our best for someone that may not benefit our own life?
Love costs something, especially when it is for the least of these. Yet, for those willing to engage in it, it can give back precious moments of intimacy with God as we come to know Him more.
This does not come naturally. In a culture that exalts celebrity pastors, celebrates the big online voice, and cheers those doing big things, it can feel almost worthless to do what no one else is doing.
But for those willing to do it, by seeing the least of these, they will come to see Jesus.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Do you look beyond yourself in your world to see those who may be called “the least of these”? How might you begin to notice those God may be calling you to love? What would it look like for you to give sacrificially to these people?
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tinnakorn Jorruang / EyeEm
Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com!
Related Resource:
Relationship tripwires. Mental health puzzles. Confusing work dynamics. You’re not the only one scratching your head. But now you have a secret decoder ring! Each episode of I Wish You Could Hear This is packed with proven, simple, and surprising secrets that help you thrive in life, faith, and relationships. Researchers Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn have spent decades interviewing and surveying more than 40,000 people to identify the little things that make a big difference in our lives. They’re Harvard-educated, Christian authors and speakers who also happen to be happily married, analytically minded, and a whole lot of fun! Join them and their guests for real stories, real help, and real hope. Like what you hear? Be sure to follow I Wish You Could Hear This on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
