“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
John 14:12
If you believe in Jesus, then you will also do the works that Jesus did. Start with loving unconditionally.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:10,11
Consider the root of your joy, or lack thereof. Consider making adjustments accordingly.
For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!
Psalm 117:2
God’s faithfulness and love toward us is more steadfast than anything we could imagine; it does not waver or change or falter. Rest in that confidence.
“Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28b,29-31
Adjust your priorities accordingly.
For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?
Luke 9:25
Consider the life, the values and the character that your Maker has woven into the fabric of who you are. Adhere to your true north and don’t be distracted by what doesn’t matter.
And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4:21
If loving God means also loving our brother, we have to remember that the body of Christ, even the members of it we may not find easy to love, are part of that brotherhood. Find one of the difficult ones to love today and be intentional about operating out of love. Perhaps you’ll be surprised at how God shows up in that transaction.
…if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4:12b
Imagine having love perfected in you. It comes from loving others. As we love others, God, Who is perfect love, abides in us. Make every effort to love others today, with the same kind of love God shows you.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7
If you know God, love like you do.
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
Psalm 122:9
Sometimes it’s not easy to be deliberate to seek good for others, because humans can be frustrating. Be intentional, though, to do so. At the very least, it gives God glory and serves the body of Christ.
…but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.
Philemon 1:14
There is a difference in doing good because we’re supposed to, and doing good because we want to. If you find yourself doing good out of obligation, take a step back and get your bearings. Doing good should come from the state of your heart within, not by force.