The degree of one's love for someone is measured by the degree of his or her sacrifice for that person. When you deeply love someone, you'll do a lot of difficult, challenging, or painful things for him or her that you would never do for anyone else.

Jesus, even before his death, demonstrated his love for others by sacrificing for them. John 13:1 tells us: It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. In the next 15 verses, Jesus washes his disciples' feet -- a task usually performed by the lowliest servants. Yet Jesus, out of love, gave of himself in order to serve. Love means going out of your way to be a servant.

Sacrifice is exactly how we can measure God's love for us. As Romans 5:8 explains, God let his son, Jesus Christ, die so that every one of us could have the opportunity to be alive: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God demonstrates his love for us by his sacrifice for us.

In 1 John 3:16-17, we are presented with this same challenge: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. How can you love others if you're not sacrificing for them?

In your life, examine what you can do to serve others in order to show them true love -- God's love. Such love requires sacrifice.

Have you ever felt that God isn't with you? That when life became tough and darkened God abandoned you? Such a feeling is common to many Christians. However, you must not rely on feelings; instead, you must rely on faith, knowing that God is always there—you just may not always be able to see him in your circumstances. That's why faith is so important.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. For example, if a family member dies, you may understandably question whether or not God could possibly be with you during such difficult times. However, by faith, you can be certain of what [you] do not see—certain that God was there watching over the whole situation.

Romans 4:19-21 describes how Abraham had faith even though it looked like God could never do what he said he would: Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

In his dark circumstances, Abraham could still see God—he had faith. That's the same type of faith to which God is calling you.