“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” - John 13:34

Love is not just a warm feeling or an emotion that comes and goes; it is a choice. It is an action verb. Jesus did not just tell us to love; He showed us exactly how to love by laying down His life for us.

The love Jesus calls us to is not natural; it is supernatural. It is the kind of love that forgives when forgiveness isn’t deserved, serves when service isn’t appreciated, and gives when giving isn’t convenient. This isn’t the transactional love of the world that says “I’ll love you if you love me back.” This is agape love, unconditional and sacrificial. It is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. It is the defining mark of a true disciple. The world will know we belong to Jesus not by our bumper stickers or our t-shirts, but by the way we love people who are hard to love.

I have learned that the hardest people to love are often the ones who need love the most. I once had a neighbor who was incredibly rude and abrasive, and my natural instinct was to avoid him or be rude back. But God convicted me to show him kindness. I started shoveling his driveway in the winter and waving hello. Over time, his walls came down. We eventually became friends, and I learned about the deep pain in his life that caused his anger. Love broke through where arguments never could.

Think of someone in your life who is hard to love. Ask God to fill your heart with His love for that person, and then take one practical step to show them kindness today, expecting nothing in return.

Jesus, thank You for loving me unconditionally, even when I was unlovable. Fill my heart with Your love so that I can love others the way You love me. Help me to be a reflection of Your love in this world. In Your name, Amen.