PUTTING LOVE INTO PRACTICE

The following story seen in "Sunshine Magazine" about a professor of psychology illustrates how difficult it is to love others.

Although he had no children of his own, whenever he saw a neighbor scolding a child for some wrongdoing, he would say, "You should love your boy, not punish him."

One hot summer afternoon the professor was doing some repair work on a concrete driveway leading to his garage. Tired out after several hours of work, he laid down the towel, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, and started toward the house. Just then out of the corner of his eye he saw a mischievous little boy putting his foot into the fresh cement. He rushed over, grabbed him, and was about to spank him severely when a neighbor leaned from a window and said, "Watch it, Professor! Don't you remember? You must 'love' the child!"

At this, he yelled back furiously, "I do love him in the abstract, but not in the concrete!"

That's so true. It's easy to love people "in the abstract". It's easy to talk about love and the importance of love. What's much more difficult is to love people in "concrete" ways, especially when we're dealing with people who are very unlovable, who have been unkind and irritating to us.

But love is not something for us to talk about -- it is something for us to demonstrate in some very practical ways, as John makes clear in this familiar passage:

"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:16-18)

How do you know if someone is using you?

They only call you when they want something.
Always ask to borrow money or things.
Often calls to complain about their lives and never ask about you.
The conversations are often one sided. (about them)
They always want to go to your place and use your things.
They only get together with you when it's convenient and you provide all the transportation.
They never call you on your birthday or offer small gifts for holidays, but expect you to buy them things and call them.
Always want to use your computer, phone, DVD player, etc.
Always on their cell phone when you are supposed to be visiting each other.
They never call you unless it's about one of the reasons above.


These are some of the most common ways to figure out if a "friend" is not being a true friend and are using you.