Jesus is “the chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely one.”

We think of love as a mood, a feeling, a sentiment, an attitude, and a passion; and rightly so, for love may contain some or all of those emotions. But at its essence, love is the selfless commitment of putting the needs of others before one’s own wishes or welfare. It’s a choice we make and a command we obey. It’s the opposite of offended pride, bitterness, selfishness, rudeness, and egocentricity.

Perhaps the greatest barometer of love is kindness, so we should always be asking ourselves, “What have I done for someone else today?”

The Bible says, “Love . . . is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4), and spiritual maturity comes as we realize that love is a command that results in a never-ceasing stream of kindness toward others. As someone once said, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” (Turning Point)

In Leslie B. Flynn’s book Dare to Care Like Jesus, he says: 

“A Christian baroness, living in the highlands of Nairobi, Kenya, told of a young national who was employed as her houseboy. After three months, he asked the baroness to give him a letter of reference to a friendly sheik some miles away. 

“The baroness, not wishing the houseboy to leave just when he had learned the routine of the household, offered to increase his pay. The lad replied that he was not leaving for higher wages. Rather, he had decided that he would become either a Christian or a Muslim. This is why he had come to work for the baroness for three months. 

“He had wished to see how Christian acted. Now he wanted to work for three months for the sheik to observe the ways of the Muslims. Then he would decide. The baroness was ashamed as she recalled the many shortcomings in her dealings with the houseboy. She could only exclaim, ‘Why didn’t you tell me at the beginning!'”

As Christians, people are constantly watching everything we say, do, and how we react. Many times, it is our witness that determines what others will think about our faith. If you have a harsh attitude, use hurtful words, participate in questionable activities, you could hinder someone from coming to know Christ.

It is our responsibility as Christians to take the Gospel of Christ to our communities, cities, and the ends of the earth. But we are also to emulate the person of Christ in our words and deeds to those we come in contact with. Simply stated: others will know the Lord by the way live our lives.

  Ask the Lord to keep your heart, thoughts, and actions pure as you live your life in front of others. Pray that nonbelievers would constantly see Christ in you.(Senior Living)  

Hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps – 1 Peter 2:21

Christians love to talk about following Christ. But Peter makes it clear that we cannot expect to follow a suffering, rejected Savior without experiencing suffering and rejection ourselves. Amy Carmichael rhetorically presents this searching question:

Can we follow the Savior far, 
Who have no wound or scar?

There is nothing meritorious or noble in suffering as an end in itself. As Peter pointed out in the verse immediately before, there is no inherent glory in suffering if we are only being punished for our own wrong-doing. However, he says, if you endure the buffeting of a Christ-hating world because you are following Jesus Christ, then this is pleasing and acceptable to God.

Interestingly, the possibility of not suffering and still following our Savior is not even presented as an option. Why? Because hereunto were you called — when you received the call of God on your life, it was not only the call to salvation but the call to suffering for the sake of your Savior.

Jesus assures us, “Blessed are ye, when [not “if”] men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake (Matthew 5:11). Paul reminds us that “unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29).

The footprints of Jesus do not travel through luxurious lifestyles and self-asserting ambitions. They lead through uncompromising stands for the glory of God and self-sacrificial suffering for the sake of others. Are you following His steps? Are you obedient to your calling? (From “A Good Thing”)