Love. When you hear the word it typically brings warm fuzzies, cute and cuddly images of people, family or friends, or special memories with them to our mind. But real love, God’s love, is that and so much more. Love is not just a strong emotional response or even an abstract idea, but a way of life and direct command from the Lord. It is how we are identified as believers in Christ. Love is deliberate, intentional, consistent, resilient and unshakable. Love is the very the character of God.

Loving others the way God commands us to can sometimes be hard because we don’t get to pick and choose who we love. Jesus said that if we only love those who love us, how are we any different? Even the ungodly do that. Love is a decision we make to be obedient to God to extend the same love He gives us to others, whether or not we think they are worthy. The Bible tells us we have to love our enemies, pray for and even bless them. In some situations, it may have to be from a distance but nevertheless, we have to do it. What does that look like on a daily basis? Maybe praying for the guy who cut you off on the way to work. Maybe it’s praying for and blessing the coworker who is rude to you. Maybe showing and sharing God’s love is just being kind to the frazzled mom with three kids in front of you at the grocery store.

There are a million little ways and opportunities each day that we can love other the way God wants us to if we will just stop and ask the Lord to show us how. You will be amazed at how it will change your whole perspective and increase your joy simply by being obedient and loving others the way God tells us to. Remember, His love never fails.

The one who doesn’t love has yet to know God, for God is love. ~ 1 John 4:8 TPT

Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 TPT

However, I say to you, love your enemy, bless the one who curses you, do something wonderful for the one who hates you, and respond to the very ones who persecute you by praying for them. For that will reveal your identity as children of your heavenly Father. He is kind to all by bringing the sunrise to warm and rainfall to refresh whether a person does what is good or evil. What reward do you deserve if you only love the loveable? Don’t even the tax collectors do that? How are you any different from others if you limit your kindness only to your friends? Don’t even the ungodly do that? ~ Matthew 5:44-47 TPT