Motivated by Jesus’s Love: Corrie ten Boom

When we see injustice in the world, what should motivate us to act?

As Christians, we believe God loves every person. God revealed His love for
us on the cross—the place where Jesus gave up His life. Jesus suffered more
injustice than anyone, and His self-sacrificing love is what motivates us
to show that same love to others. We love because we have been loved first
by Jesus.

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This is what motivated Corrie ten Boom. As a Christian woman living during
World War II, she was a part of the Dutch resistance, and she helped many
Jewish people escape during the Holocaust. While earning her living as a
watchmaker in the Netherlands, Corrie worked in secret with other members
of the Dutch resistance to create a hiding place for Jewish refugees inside
her family’s home and watch shop. Their efforts saved many people from
death, but one day Corrie—and members of her family—were caught and
arrested by the Nazis. Corrie was eventually released, but several of her
family members died while they were imprisoned.

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Throughout the rest of her days, Corrie wrote about God’s work in her life,
and she continued to seek out ways to help Holocaust survivors. It was her
relationship with Jesus that helped her process all that had happened to
her and around her, and it was Jesus’s love that motivated her to continue
helping others until the end of her life.

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As Christians, we serve the God of justice. The same Jesus who died and
rose again for us will one day return to set everything right (Romans 8;
Revelation 21:1-5). We are part of His family and His eternal kingdom, so
we have the joy and privilege of pointing people to our Savior through
words and actions—including acts of courage and love toward our neighbors,
even in the face of injustice. 

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• What sticks out to you the most about Corrie ten Boom’s story?

• We live in a world that’s broken by sin and its effects. As Christians,
how can resting in God’s love equip us to love our neighbors in this broken
world?

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• Corrie ten Boom was able to help save lives because she was part of a
community that was united around God’s love for the people He has made. How
can working for justice—as a community—help us better serve our neighbors?

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We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

Read Verses:

1John.4.19|John.3.16-John.3.17|John.13.34-John.13.35