How do you know the love of God is at work?

If the love of Jesus is at work in my life, I am changed. I become increasingly more loving, accepting, gracious, forgiving, compassionate, warm, open, honest, and engaging with people. This is the character and nature of Jesus. If He has free reign in my life, I become more like Him, taking on more of His character and nature everyday.

But, if I am a constant critic, cynical, suspicious, closed, gossipy, harsh, demanding, judging, divisive, deliberately intimidating, contentious and wanting to argue, I show the love of Jesus is not in me. I have a love deficient heart. I have swapped the purity and simplicity of relationship with Jesus for a loveless, powerless, and religious way of living. It is counterfeit Christianity.

The way I love people gives evidence to the work of God in my life.

If I allow Jesus’ love to be fully formed in me, I can love people the way He loves me. And when I love people the way He loves me, this gives evidence to the world that Jesus is the Son of God, Matthew 17:23, paraphrased.