Provoke Unto Love

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:" (Hebrews 10:24). The word provoke is used most often in the context of spurring someone to anger or violence. But the word originally meant to call forth or to challenge. If we really love our brothers and sisters, then we are going to show that love by serving them and doing everything in our power to make their lives better. Such love and devotion can't help but challenge and provoke them to share their love and good works in return. We have all seen many times how one act of cruelty or violence can ripple out and come back ten times worse. But one act of kindness and love has just as much if not more power to ripple out and provoke other acts of love and kindness. Instead of an eye for an eye, let us try a little more we for an us, instead of a tooth for a tooth, let us try a smile for a smile. Vengeance may be the Lord's but love and good works are for all of us. Let us love and serve one another so much that we provoke each other, call each other out, challenge each other to show even more love and kindness in return. The world cannot ignore our good deeds. Every time we bless someone's life, we make it easier for that person to bless someone else's life. It can be easy to become jaded and cynical, to harden one's heart. But if someone comes into our life and loves us despite our flaws and makes our life better without our asking and with no thought for any kind of reward, it can't help but provoke us to show our love and goodness in return.