How Well Do You Love (1 John 3:16)

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
(1 John 3:16, NASB)

Whew … John’s next admonition is tough! Yes, Christ loved us so much “He laid down His life for us.” He withstood pain and torture beyond what very few of us will ever experience. He hung on that cross for hours. Hearing the mockers. Straining for shallow breaths. Feeling the heat of the sun on His flayed body. In fact, think of the same chapter and verse in John's gospel. One we memorize as children. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son ..."

All for us. All because He loves us that much. And we who follow Him are grateful—exceedingly grateful.

But what about the next part of this verse? We’ve been talking a lot about loving our brothers and sisters, and many of us really do strive to do so. But laying down our own lives for them? I don’t know.

I hope I’d be willing to sacrifice my own life for my husband or my mom or my siblings. Even my nieces and nephews. But as much as I love my dear friends, would I really be willing to throw myself in front of the proverbial bullet? I don’t know. And what about a total stranger. I really don’t know.

Yet that’s what John says real love is.

All I can do is pray, “Lord God, please make me selfless. Please create in me a love so deep for my brothers and sisters that I’d give my very life to spare theirs. Fill me with an overwhelming love for everyone. Amen.”