Guided by Love

For Feb. we’re going to focus on Colossians 1 as we talk about our own personal walk with Jesus and what that means for our lives today.

Have you ever been lost before? More than likely, you have.

It happens to all of us.

*Getting lost in the Samson Park bike trails*

We all know what it feels like to get lost.

There is usually a moment right before you realize that you are lost when you start to get suspicious.

You know the voice, the one that whispers, “Am I headed in the right direction?”

Nothing helps us more when we are lost than a good map.

But to know where you’re trying to go, you first need to know where you are.

If you don’t know where you are on a map, its useless.

The map on your phone does this automatically (which is why it is so great).

When we talk about our relationship with God, we often use language similar to that used when getting lost and reading a map.

We understand our lives with God as a journey, and it is the journey we were made to take. But on that journey, we have seasons where we get lost or forget what we’re meant to do or go.

When we hear this voice, it would be nice if we could just pull out the “spiritual maps” app on our phone and have it tell us where we are and where we are going. But that is not a thing…

So, how do we know if we are headed in the right direction? How can we tell if we are growing in our relationship with God? How can we tell if our spiritual lives are growing, gaining strength and depth, as we walk through our day-to-day lives?

When you feel lost in your faith, remember God’s love and let it guide you.

If you’re asking those questions right now, let me just offer some encouragement- you are not alone.

When we remember God’s love, it reminds us of who we are and what we are to do. We demonstrate God’s love through our own lives to guide us in what we were meant to do.

Not long after Jesus’s DRA, there was a community of Christians asking these same questions about their faith journey.

Paul wrote a letter to this community in Colossae. In that letter, Paul gives instructions for how to live as followers of Jesus. He writes about how to head in the right direction in our journey with God.

But before we talk about how to walk with Jesus, we need to know two things:

Where are we? What’s the state of my current relationship with God?

Which direction to head from there. How does God’s love call me to action?

Col. 1:1-5

Right away, we learn some things about this community.

Paul is grateful for them. Their lives bring Paul joy. They are faithful to Jesus. They trust Jesus’ promise to redeem the brokenness of the world enough to let it affect how they live their lives.

They are known for their love.

In a world where people wanted to be known for so many different things, like beauty or wealth, talent or power, these followers of Jesus were known for their love.

What are you known for? Have you ever thought about that?

**Picture of epitaph**

So, I ask you again, what are you known for? What would be your epitaph?

There is evidence that a change has occurred in their lives. Something is different. The Colossians are not where they were; they’re someplace new, and they’re headed in a new direction compared to much of the world around them.

Love is the evidence of where they are, evidence that something has changed.

And why has this change happened? Paul says they have this love because of the hope laid up for them in heaven. He’s saying they have love because of their hope in the gospel. They have a new love for God, and that shapes their love for others.

This change in their hearts stems from their relationship with God.

The love we have for the people around us helps us to know where we are in our journey with God.

If you feel lost and unsure of where you are in your faith, the best place to start is by evaluating how well you are loving your world.

When you encounter the people in your everyday life, how well do you love them?

Family, friends, people you don’t like, people you don’t know?

How we love can cue us into the state of our relationship with God. The more we know God, the more we love the world around us.

1 John 4:20 puts it this way, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

Paul’s letter to this young church shows us first how to find where we are in our walk with God.

Now, we have to learn what direction to head from there.

Col. 1:6-8

Paul is talking about this young church’s walk with God; he has noticed their faith and their love (where they are), and it brings him joy because it is “bearing fruit and increasing.” (where they are going)

This is the direction – growth, increase, fruit, deepening, widening.

It has grown enough that it has started to impact their world. It is “bearing fruit,” as Paul says. In other words, their love has grown to the point that it’s out there doing stuff, changing things, transforming their heart and the world around them.

The word “love” has certainly been messed with in our culture, and maybe it’s even lost some meaning for people because of how much it’s thrown around and argued about. At its core, love is about service. It’s not about tolerating, affirming, or meaningless acceptance. If I love someone, I am willing, and more than that, I want to serve them.

This is the path, direction, and goal for followers of Jesus: to grow in our love for God and people.

To grow in love for God and for people. To become more loving, more kind, more gracious, more caring, and more life-giving.

So what does that look like? Since growing in love doesn’t seem like something that can be forced, we have to look for ways we can prepare our hearts for that growth to happen naturally.

Take note of the beauty in the world around you.

You’d be surprised how often we fail to notice the beautiful things right in front of us. Things like sunsets, flowers, or the way your significant other laughs at your jokes. Whatever it is, we are often surrounded by beautiful things. Take note of them.

As you see the beauty around you, let it remind you of your Creator’s goodness and presence in your life.

Be intentional in your love for others.

Be thinking of how you love others and ways to show it. Especially your family.

What if you took time this week and told people what you love about them? What if you took time this week and demonstrated your love for people by serving them or doing something tangible for them?

Let your intentional love for others overflow from a heart that’s been filled with God’s love. As you love others, your love demonstrates the love God has.

Practice gratitude.

Try this. Once a day, write down all the things you are thankful for that day. This step will help with the first two. It helps you notice the beauty around you and the people around you that bring you joy. And the more you notice these things, the more your heart is prepared to grow in love.

As you do this, give God thanks and respond in love to Him for all that He’s blessed you with.

But the most important action of all to prepare your heart to grow in love is to remember this: we love because we were first loved. You are deeply loved by God, and that love changes us. We love in response to God’s love for us. And God’s love was on full display on the Cross.

God created the whole world to enjoy His love, but we messed it up via sin. Because God is love, He didn’t want to leave us on our own, apart from Him. He wanted to repair that relationship and restore our purpose in life. So, He came down from heaven to be with us, in the person of Jesus, and then paid the price for our rebellion by dying on the Cross and rising to life again to defeat sin, rebellion, and its consequences.

Any love that we show others is a response to that love, to the ultimate love that God has for the whole world- a love that He has for you. If that’s you, be sure to come talk to me or a leader before you go home today.

Our love for God and for others is a result of what God has done for us.

Let's not forget that this walk, this journey, starts and ends with God’s love for us and our love for God and the world around us.

I asked you earlier what you are known for. Are you known for your love for God and others? As you go about your week, remember this: When you feel lost in your faith, remember God’s love and let it guide you.

Let’s pray.