""Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."" Matthew 5:16 WBT
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, many couples will be exchanging chocolate hearts and boxes of assorted treats to express their love for one another. Megan Murphy and her partner, Kevin Minnick, who are marking this Valentine’s Day having lost a combined 120 pounds after Murphy joined Weight Watchers in 2016 (inspiring Minnick to follow), will not be one of them though. They have found what a study, published this month in the research journal Obesity, revealed... weight loss is contagious. When one partner commits to losing weight, the other partner is likely to lose weight too.
And if the actions and lifestyle of one person can be contagious enough to spur another person into following their example, consider how our actions could do the same. You see, by letting our "light so shine before men that they may see" our "good works"- or those acts of kindness, love and service to others inspired solely by our love for the Father and bringing Him glory - our actions can spur others to seek His love for themselves. Bill Hybels says it like this, "God wants us to become contagious [believers] … who will first catch his love and then urgently and infectiously offer it to all who are willing to consider it. This is his primary plan, the one Jesus modeled powerfully: to spread God’s grace and truth person to person until there’s an epidemic of changed lives around the world”
And if the actions and lifestyle of one person can be contagious enough to spur another person into following their example, consider how our actions could do the same. You see, by letting our "light so shine before men that they may see" our "good works"- or those acts of kindness, love and service to others inspired solely by our love for the Father and bringing Him glory - our actions can spur others to seek His love for themselves. Bill Hybels says it like this, "God wants us to become contagious [believers] … who will first catch his love and then urgently and infectiously offer it to all who are willing to consider it. This is his primary plan, the one Jesus modeled powerfully: to spread God’s grace and truth person to person until there’s an epidemic of changed lives around the world”
So if being contagious, as defined by Merriam-Webster, means exciting similar emotions or conduct in others, let us be so full of love and light that we can't help but spread it everywhere we go. And by doing so, may we inspire others to love and glorify the "Father who is in heaven."
Heavenly Father, thank You for being the ultimate example of true love. Help us to love You with our whole being that we might "shine" bright in a dark world and inspire others to do the same. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
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