How To Live With Love That Reflects God’s Will

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You and I have been called to live with love for God and people. It’s one of the things that makes our faith unique. Other religions insist on obedience to a specific list of rules. And some believe that those who won’t comply deserve death.

Christians trust God through faith in Jesus.

Jesus is God who came and lived among people and told all who trusted and followed Him to live with love. God never wanted followers who had been coerced; He wants a loving relationship with people who have been pursued with kindness, compassion, and love.

John wrote…

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 

1 John 3:18

The Life Application Bible Notes say…

Real love is an action, not a feeling. It produces selfless, sacrificial giving. The greatest act of love is giving oneself for others. [How?] We serve others with no thought of receiving anything in return.

That’s not easy. We come into the world with a natural selfishness. From early childhood, we demonstrate a tendency to be unpleasant and disagreeable. Thankfully, we can be loving and kind, too. But we are inconsistent.

Parents don’t love their children because of what they can do; they love them because of who they are. If your children are grown, remember those moments when it was hard to discipline your toddler or teen, but you knew it was the loving thing to do.

Spouses care for each other through the hard times because they love them and it’s the loving thing to do. Friends and neighbors do kind things because they want to be loving and kind.

Do parents, spouses, friends, and neighbors always feel like acting on their love? I think we’d all agree they don’t. But because we care about our relationships and the people, we act in love even when we don’t feel like it.

Jesus showed us how to act with perfect love. Here are just a few examples…

1. Speaking the truth – He didn’t tickle ears and tell people what they wanted to hear, He spoke God’s truth with love because He wanted what was best for them.
2. Helping people in need – He healed, fed, and cared for those in need. He knew what they needed most and provided. We don’t always know what someone needs, but God does. So, we pray and trust Him to guide us and help us.
3. Showing kindness and compassion – Jesus cared. He listened, encouraged, and healed hurting and broken hearts.
4. Consistently forgiving – Jesus forgave every humble repentant heart. He loved perfectly, so hatred and bitterness were never a part of His character. With His help, we can resist the temptation to hold on to anger and animosity.
5. Sacrificially giving Himself to save the lost – Jesus gave everything to show us the magnitude of His love. Everything He gave and did came from the heart of our loving God.

Let’s pray…

A Prayer to Live with Love
that Reflects God’s Will

Abba Father, You are the perfect parent. You are perfect love. Everything You have done, do, or will ever do in the future comes from Your love. You have never coerced people to trust and obey You because, since the beginning, You have always wanted a loving relationship with them.

You gave us Commandments and told us Your will because You know and want what is best for us. That is love. When we sinned, You sent Your Son to pay the penalty for our disobedience. That’s perfect love.

And while He lived here among humanity, Jesus showed us Your perfect loving character. He faithfully spoke the truth, telling us that He is the TRUTH. He helped people in need by healing the sick and feeding the hungry. He also consistently met their need for kindness and compassion.

He showed us Your heart of forgiveness to the point of death. His love is so great that He gave His all for us. Then He told us to live with love, as He did.

I want to love You and people the way You command … as Jesus did. But I don’t. I fall short of that perfect love every day. Please forgive me.

I love You. I trust You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and give me what I need to live with love even when it’s hard. Please give me all I need to reflect Your love for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Here are a few quotes and verses that encouraged me…

C. S. Lewis wrote…

 “Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did.”

Jesus said…

“I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

John 13:34

R. C. Sproul taught…

“In the New Testament, love is more of a verb than a noun. It has more to do with acting than with feeling. The call to love is not so much a call to a certain state of feeling as it is to a quality of action.”

And Paul wrote…

I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

2 Corinthians 13:11 and Ephesians 4:2

May you and I live with love like Jesus. May we speak the truth, help with kindness and compassion. And may we faithfully forgive and sacrifice our selfishness to show the perfect love of Jesus.

God bless you and help you know how perfectly He loves you.

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