Sharing the Love of Jesus 

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) 

It was getting dark as my mom and I were driving home from school. As we exited the interstate, we saw a man who was presumably homeless standing in the middle of the median holding a sign. My heart broke as we drove away. I had a Gospel tract and a few dollars in my purse that I felt a nudge to hand him. My heart felt so burdened on the drive home, because we didn’t turn around. I wanted to show the love of Jesus with him, and I felt overwhelmed with heartbreak that I had passed up the opportunity -- and my heart ached for the man that might not know Jesus. 

As disciples of Christ, we are to show love for others just as Jesus has loved us. The most loving thing we can do for others is to tell them what God has done for them. Sending us Jesus and saving us from our sins, giving us eternal life -- the greatest acts of love we have ever been shown. Being a disciple means loving and sharing Jesus with others and making new disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). What a joy it is to know that we can share Jesus with others – knowing that He has the power to change their lives. 

It's been several years since that night, and I sometimes think about the man that was standing there off that exit. Thankfully, God gave me another chance to share the Gospel with him. The next night we were once again driving home from school and decided to stop at a drive-thru and get something to eat. The woman handed us our food and told us she had extra food she was giving us. We didn’t think much about it as we started our drive home. As we once again exited the interstate, the same man was standing there with the same sign. I knew immediately that the extra food was for him, so I slipped the Gospel tract into the bag and handed him the fresh food. He was so thankful, and my heart was so full. God loved him so much that he was taking care of him with the extra food and feeding his soul at the same time. We never saw him after that, but my prayer has always been that he became a disciple because of the love that Jesus showed him that night. 

Want to make a difference in your world? Share the love of Jesus with one person this week. You never know how God might use you. 

By Lauren Hill 

Lauren attends IBC-Georgetown Campus. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Adam, and is the mother of Story and Violet.