In his book Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home, Richard Foster tells of an old teacher who asked his students, "How do we know when darkness leaves and dawn approaches?" "When we can look at a tree and know that it is a pine tree, not a fir tree," answered one student. "When we can see an animal and know it's a fox, not a wolf," replied another.
"Wrong," said the teacher.
Confused, the disciples asked for the answer. The teacher replied calmly, "We will know when the darkness leaves and dawn comes when we can see another person and recognize him as our brother; because otherwise, whatever the hour, we will still be in the dark."
Do we take John's words seriously, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers and sisters?" (1 John 3:14). Or, do we still harbor anger or hatred towards fellow Christians? Do we criticize people who go to other churches and often disagree with us on many things? What about Christians from other nations? Do we love them not only from a distance but also up close and personal?
If love is the characteristic of believers, will other people find that characteristic and recognize us as belonging to Christ? [HWR
]
ALSO HAVE A HEART FOR OTHERS
* Take from Daily Reflections