 An Encouraging Word- They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love December 14, 2025 A few years ago I started praying and asking God to help me to love other people the same way that He does. It seemed like immediately all the most unlovable people started crossing my path. I remember asking God, "Hey, are you testing me or something?". I shake my head at that now because I had no idea what I was asking for. People are hard to love , and guess what? I am one of those hard to love people too! Our human idea of love is usually pretty self-serving and honestly , usually it is limited. I love you until you hurt my feelings or offend me or disagree with me. I love you until you disagree with me politically or on religion or hurt my feelings. We place conditions upon love. God's love is completely the opposite of this. To love others like God loves them is to love without strings attached, without the limits of condition, of feelings, overlooking offense and hurt, and without expecting anything back. Most humans are just not able to do that. There is a reason why love is the first characteristic that Paul listed in his letter to the Galatians as the fruit of the Spirit. To love like God loves is only possible when our lives are surrendered to Christ. Less of me, more of Him. Read that again- Less of me! More of Him! The more room we make for Christ in our lives, the more we surrender ourselves, the less room there is for offense and hurt. When you are loving like God loves, you love just as an overflow of His Spirit at work in your life. When we as the church , when we as Christians learn how to do that, and be sincere about it , that is when we will see change in the lives of others around us. Remember the words of that old hymn "They will know we are Christians by our love"? It should say, "They will know we are Christians, not by our love, but by His Love". Scriptures to Hide in Your Heart: Galatians 5:13-26 (English Standard Version) “13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” 1 John 4: 7-21 (English Standard Version) “7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” Wise Words to Ponder: Sonnet 116 (William Shakespeare) “Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments; love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring bark Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come. Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom: If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.” Songs to Encourage You: Love Can Build A Bridge (made famous by the Judds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laI791ZTrWE&list=RDlaI791ZTrWE&start_radio=1 When I Don’t Know the Way (Gospel Choir) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddg8pHnl4pE&list=RDDdg8pHnl4pE&start_radio=1 O Holy Night / Holy Forever (Bethel Worship and Garret & Kate) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK_SoLUiyKs&list=RDDdg8pHnl4pE&index=2 Wise men (and women) still seek Him! Trust Him. Let Him transform your life in the amazing miraculous way that only He can do! He is faithful to do it. You are loved beyond measure. Praying for you this week! Melissa Boggs Christian Life Academy
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 An Encouraging Word
Maybe Christmas Means A Little Bit More December 7, 2025 I’m afraid to admit it out loud because I know that people will throw a fit….but here it is. For many years I did not like Christmas. Not one part of it. I hated the presents, and the decorations, and the music, and the hustle and bustle of it all. I am not sure when I started to feel that way. I was not like that as a child. I usually looked forward to it. I was not like that when my kids were little. I think it was just all of the extreme busy-ness of school the three weeks of December. Programs, field trips, community events, parties, dinners. Sometimes it feels like a bit of an overload. I am usually completely wiped out by the time the last day of school in December arrives…like crawling out of the door bone tired. If you ever want to see a person just hanging on by a thread, step into a school classroom in December or May. That thousand yard stare every teacher has is the real deal- students with scrambled schedules and holiday excitement is hard to contain for long, especially those three long weeks between Thanksgiving break and Christmas break. I think the other thing that I have found, particularly since my kids have grown up, is the let down that the holidays bring to me. I have expectations of what a holiday with my family will be like, but I have come to understand that they also have expectations and schedules and plans with their friends and spouses too. Also being in a divorced family means split holiday time and times when one parent is probably going to spend the holidays alone. It’s tough and sometimes it is really lonely and hurts my heart. This year at Thanksgiving I had a long , long talk with myself about that, about realistic expectations for holidays, and about other ways that I can enjoy the holidays too. In the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas , the Grinch was really angry about how the Whos celebrated Christmas with singing, dinners, decorating, and joy. He hated it so much that he decided to take all of that from everyone else. He spent the whole night taking everything from them that would make them happy. The best part of the book is when he hears them still singing the next morning. At this point his little heart grows three sizes that day and he realizes the famous lines from the book, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from the store…maybe Christmas means a little bit more…”. The remarkable thing is that his heart is changed and he decides to give the joy of Christmas back to the Whos. He returns everything that he took from them- their presents, their dinners, their decorations. They accept him just as he is and the book ends with the Grinch, of all people, taking part in the holiday meal with the Whos, accepted as a part of their celebrations and loved. I don’t want to be like the Grinch and be grumpy through the holidays or even unappreciative of those that put tremendous efforts into making them wonderful for others. About six years ago, I was able to attend Christmas Eve service at my church with my youngest son. At the last minute we were asked to fill in for a family that could not be there to read Scripture and light the Christ candle for Advent. I was sad that my older two kids could not attend, but it was special to spend it with my youngest son. The Scriptures we had to read were ones that I love deeply and ones that I was meant to hear. As I read the words I could feel them sinking into my soul, filling in the hurt places that seem to be exposed again during the holidays. I guess you could say that my old Grinchy heart grew three sizes that day hearing those beautiful words of the Bible. I would like to share them with you too. John 1: 9-13 ” The true light that gives light to everyone is coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 ” And now I will show you a more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails”. Christmas does not have to be just presents and parties and busy-ness. Christmas is about love, redemption, and forgiveness. It is all the things that Christ represents. It has always been about these things. Think back to that little baby lying in the animal manger so long ago. Did Mary know that her little one would one day die for the sins of all humanity? Of course Mary knew! The angel told her and Joseph that this child would be called Jesus- the one that would save his people from their sins. They both knew the Scriptures. They both knew the prophecies. Yet they chose to love this special gift of God, this child that was brought into their lives in a way that most would never and still cannot understand. Love, redemption, and forgiveness was what was in that Christmas story of so long ago. These are the things that made the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes in one day in Dr. Seuss’s story. Love, redemption, and forgiveness- the greatest forces in the world, also the three hardest things to accept in our lives. The three things that have been so freely offered to each of us. That’s what Christmas is. That is what Jesus is- Emmanuel- God with us. Emmanuel- Love, Redemption, Forgiveness with us. That is the long talk God and I had at Thanksgiving this year. I had to spend a day alone, shed some tears, pour my heart out to God about some real burdens. Hard truth- we cannot put our happiness in what other people can give to us. Not our children, family, spouse, job, friends. We can only put our happiness in what God gives us , and being in a right place with him. Nothing else will bring us peace. Nothing. Songs to Encourage You: Adore (Chris Tomlin) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LQCz7y5Ht0&list=RD5LQCz7y5Ht0&start_radio=1 The Moment The Whole World Changed (Danny Gokey) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk7MKGLEaZ0&list=RDFk7MKGLEaZ0&start_radio=1 Please know that you are loved beyond measure! You are redeemed and forgiven by your Savior! Let God grow your heart three sizes and let people into your life to love you too. Merry Christmas from me to you! Melissa Boggs Christian Life Academy |
AuthorMelissa Boggs is the Superintendent of Christian Life Academy and attends Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church. 
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