On
December 4, 2006, a 19-year- old soldier serving in Iraq saw a grenade being
thrown from a rooftop. Manning the machine gun in the turret of his Humvee, he
tried to deflect the explosive—but it fell inside his vehicle. He had time to
jump to safety. Instead, he threw his body over the grenade in a stunningly
selfless act that saved the lives of four fellow soldiers.
This
almost unexplainable act of self-sacrifice may help us understand why the Bible
tells us that there is a kind of love that is more honorable than having great
knowledge or faith( 1 Cor. 13:1-3).
This kind
of love can be hard to find—leading the apostle Paul to lament that more people
care for themselves than for the interests of Christ Phil. 2:20-21). That’s why
he was so grateful for Epaphroditus, a co-worker who “came close to death, not
regarding his life” in order to serve others (v.30).
If we think we could never put our own life on the line for others, Epaphroditus shows us the first step with his selfless example. Such love is neither normal nor common, and it doesn’t come from us. It comes from the Spirit of God, who can give us the desire and ability to feel for others some of the inexpressible affection God has for us.
You can measure your love for God
by showing your love for others.
(RBC)
