7 Simple Ways Christians Can Show Real Love

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Have you heard the expression that church is like a filling station for believers?

At first glance, it may seem correct that the church is the place where we refuel for the week, so we have everything we need to go back out into the world.

But there are a few big problems I see with viewing the church in this way.

The church was never meant to be a gathering of consumers who come and expect that their needs be met.

It was never meant to be a place where we get for ourselves, but a place where we give to others.

The church stops being a fueling station when we realize that we have a continual source of fuel in our hands called “The Bible” and when we recall the words of Peter in 1 Peter 1:3-4, “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

All we need for life and godliness has already been given to us by God’s divine power.

Church isn’t a place where I receive, it’s a place to give; it’s a place to encourage others; it’s a place where we serve so that unbelievers and new Christians find a community of believers where they feel loved, encouraged, and strengthened.

Once we’ve matured in Christ, we are no longer dependent upon someone to feed us.

We should be feeding ourselves independently so that we can encourage and support those who are in need and those who are still learning to feed themselves.

When we begin viewing the church from a proper perspective, we are free to love the church – and the world – the way we were meant to.

It changes the way we relate to one another.

It moves our relationships from a consumer mindset to a giving mindset, so that the church isn’t coming to get, but to give.

7 Simple Ways Christians Can Show Real Love

1. Write your pastor a letter of encouragement and love

Do you know that it has been proven that pastors have one of the most stressful careers?

Pastors often face some of the harshest critics. Because of the nature of their job, congregants often expect more of their pastors than what their pastor can humanly be or give.

What many forget is that pastors struggle with the same struggles we all do:

• They often feel insecure and inadequate
• They sometimes fight with their wives
• Their kids go through rebellious years,
• They feel discouraged and frustrated when things don’t go as planned.

Couple that with the fact that many small congregations expect the pastor and his family to do everything from leading worship to fixing the plumbing and doing the janitorial work.

This can often result in tremendous exhaustion and even feelings of isolation when they feel they have no one to turn to or rely upon.

Pastoral work can be stressful, exhausting, and very, very lonely. Many pastors and their families report chronic depression, loneliness, feelings of isolation, and even, at times, suicide.

I challenge you to take a moment and write your pastor a letter of encouragement and love.

It doesn’t have to be a handwritten letter. Even a text or email will do. I guarantee you, it will be treasured forever.

2. Help someone in need in a practical way.

Some of the least helpful words we say to people are “Call me if you need anything”.

We both know that they won’t call, but we feel better having offered at least something… even though that “something” was really nothing.

When a pregnant mom of a toddler is nearing her delivery date, when an elderly person has had hip replacement surgery, when a single parent of four has come down with a nasty virus, the best words we can say are:

“Can I come over on Wednesday and:

• Cook dinner
• Watch the kids while you nap
• Clean your house
• Take your kids for the week
• Get your groceries
• Spend some time with you

If you want to reach out, do so in a practical and concrete way. Name a date and a specific way you’d like to meet that need.

3. Do a kind deed for someone in the church.

Is there someone in your church who’s in need?

• Someone’s kids need new school clothes.
• Parents who need a night out together.
• A shut-in who is lonely
• An older woman who needs help cleaning her house or fixing something that is broken
• A single person who is without family during the holidays
• A teenager who is feeling awkward and needs to know that someone sees them

Needs come in many different forms – not just financial or material.

One of the greatest needs people have is a need for connection, being noticed, and valued. And the only way we see that need is when we take the time to really observe those around us.

4. Volunteer in a homeless shelter or warming center

It is very easy for us to grow cynical about the homeless.

So often, we look at the homeless as people who failed in life, those who choose to be homeless to avoid paying bills and taxes, or addicts who have messed up their lives.

They made their bed, now they’re lying in it.

The truth is, in the homeless community are those who have experienced some hard blows in life.

Maybe they’ve lost their job andhaven’t been able to find other employment.

Or perhaps they’ve had a pay cut that resulted in foreclosure, and they haven’t been able to find another place to live.

Maybe it’s a woman who had to flee her abusive husband and didn’t have anywhere to turn.

Any number of scenarios can result in homelessness, and all of them are worthy of our love and care.

Even the person who has messed their life up with drugs and alcohol, who has completely failed in life, or has chosen to be homeless.

All of these need us to be Jesus’ hands to them.

Many homeless people die in the winter due to exposure, and I love it that many churches have begun to rise up and offer warming centers for these people as safe places for them to stay.

A practical way to show the love of Jesus is to volunteer at a shelter or warming center. I promise you, your presence there will be a huge blessing, and perhaps you’ll even have an opportunity to lead someone to Jesus.

5. Invite someone over for dinner

When was the last time you had someone over for dinner?

I don’t mean that you met at a restaurant or coffee shop, I mean, opened your home to them and invited them to sit at your table.

This is such a meaningful way of reaching out to people, especially new people in your church, making them feel welcome.

I challenge you to reach out to someone in your church and invite them to share a meal with you at your table.

6. Reach out to someone in your church with whom you don’t usually fellowship

It is natural that we gravitate to those people with whom we have a lot in common, people who have similar or complementary personalities to ours.

We are prone to avoid those with whom we have nothing in common or who have personalities that rub us the wrong way.

However, you don’t know what you’re missing by not reaching outside of your normal circle of friends to fellowship with people to whom you’re not ordinarily drawn.

We are quick to make snap judgments based upon our immediate impression without going deeper to see if our judgment of them was accurate.

By doing so, we perhaps miss an opportunity for a beautiful friendship all because we assumed we wouldn’t get along.

My challenge to you is to reach out to someone in your church with whom you don’t usually fellowship. Invite them over for dinner. Go out for coffee with them. Spend time getting to know them.

7. Adopt an elderly person or shut-in, and arrange to visit them regularly.

Sadly, our elderly and shut-ins are often our forgotten people.

Children grow up and move away, both physically and emotionally. Some have never had children, and have no living relatives to care for them.

They grow old and frail, and when they are unable to care for themselves any longer, go to live in a retirement village or nursing home.

• No one sees them.
• No one visits.
• They die lonely and forgotten.

It is a common story, but it shouldn’t be. As Christians, we are called to honor our elders, to visit and care for the widows; James says that this is true and undefiled religion.

I am often surprised at how many elderly and shut-ins are on Facebook and enjoy chatting online as much as they do in person.

In fact, for many, it is easier to chat online, because when they grow fatigued, it is much easier for them to let you know that they need to rest, but will be back later.

I challenge you to make it a regular practice to visit the elderly and shut-ins, either physically or online.

These 7 acts of love are all ways that God’s people can reach out, expecting nothing in return, and show the love of Jesus to their church….and even to the world around them.

We should be known by our love and selfless acts of service, as we reach out to others as service unto the Lord!

Get these 15 Bible Verses about Love in a set of free downloadable Bible verse cards.

You can download a set for yourself by clicking here or on the image below.