Goal Setting: Loving Others

Think of some recent goals you have set for yourself? Have you been successful or have you not been able to follow through with them?

Unfortunately, most of our goals have not been too successful; not because your intentions are bad, but because we often set goals that we cannot do. Often times, the goals are too high and we don’t have a plan to achieve it.

This week, I want to look at succeeding in our goals - that we would make a goal and follow through with it. These goals can be achieved because they are grounded in God’s plans and purposes for our lives.

This week, the goal I want to look at is Loving Others. Why would we want to do that?

Read Matthew 22:36-39
- What are the two greatest commandments? love God and love others
- Why is loving others important? Because, as Jesus points out, everything else is dependent on loving God and loving others.

There are tons of examples of how to love others in the Bible, but I want to look a pretty familiar/famous story. It’s the story of the Good Samaritan.

Read Luke 10:30-37

What sticks out to you abot that story?

It is clear that this man was beaten and left for dead. People came, saw him and passed right by him, never once helping him. Then, a Samaritan came and helped him. I want to focus on what the Samaritan did.

What did the Samaritan do? (3 things found in v. 34-35)

Jesus told us to go and do the same. Well, how can we do the same to this? Let’s take a look at this passage again.

We have a man who was beaten up and left for dead, sitting on the side of the road. Who, today, would correlate well with this person? The odd ball, the one all by him/herself…the one without friends, sitting alone in the cafeteria.

Now, be careful…just because this is the character in the story, doesn’t mean that this is the only sort of person we need to be reaching out too…we need to love everyone!

The man who helped him, bandaged his wounds, put him on his donkey and took care of him.
What, today, could we do to help someone? Sit down and chat with them at lunch, give an encouraging word

Then, he paid the innkeeper to look after him. What, today, could we do that is similar? Take him/her to church, get them involved with a support network, etc

Application
So here’s the model. Christ made it a priority and the Samaritan put it into practice. What are you going to do when you see the opportunity? Are you going to act or just shy away, hoping that someone else will love him or her?

Think of the impact you can have on just one person by simply loving him/her. What do you think could happen?

In the movie “the Untouchables”, Sean Connery’s character challenges Elliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner) to really step up and make a difference in their war vs. organized crime. As they were getting ready to make an impact, he says 2 things to them:
1. “Do you really want to get him (Capone)…What are you prepared to do?”

2. "If you walk through this door now, you are walking into a world of trouble and there is no turning back…you understand”

In the same way, I want to challenge you by asking you…what are you prepared to do? If you claim to be committed to loving God and loving others…what are you prepared to do? Because once you walk through that door, there is no turning back. God will move and impact many lives, including your own.

My challenge to you this week is this: Pick 1 person to love as God would love you!

John 13:34-35 says - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

People will know that you are a follower of Christ by the love you portray. Lives can be changed because of it. Loving others is a simple but powerful goal that we can all achieve.

Make a plan of 1 or more persons you are going to love the way Christ would.
- Who are you going to be intentionally loving this week?
- How will you love them?