Bible verses about love
The first fruit of the Holy Spirit is love [Galatians 5]. We see different types of love all around us. Maybe weâve been âin loveâ or felt parental love for a child. Or perhaps weâve felt the sting of the absence of love. At the core of our beings, our inherent desire is to love and be loved in return.
Godâs love is a difficult concept for our human minds to understand, especially since the worldâs definition of love is so different from Godâs definition of love in the Bible. Even with the Greek (agapÄ) and Hebrew (ahava) definitions, we could spend the rest of our lives uncovering the meaning of Godly love. The fruit of love must be at the center of what we say and do. We are wired to pursue and give love.
Agape
One of the many forms of this love is agape or unconditional love. What does agape mean? Agape love is the highest form of love. Itâs self-sacrificial and pours out to others, regardless of whether or not they deserve it. It believes in the best and empowers us to live a life of undaunted courage.
Many Christians are weighed down knowing that they struggle to love people whose philosophies, lifestyles, and behaviors are opposed to God. It can feel difficult to show love towards those who believe differently than us or who have hurt us. Or perhaps we canât forgive ourselves for what weâve done in the past. Regardless of the reason, we must admit thatâat some levelâwe all struggle with love.
Jesusâ love is the only perfect example of love in action, as He is love itself. He created love, just the same as He created us. He embodies selfless giving, peace, and kindness. He is the blueprint for loving unconditionally.
The more we draw near to Him, the more our hearts can hear the whispers of His truth. He understands the hurt in our lives. He knows and empathizes with us when weâre feeling empty. In those moments, He asks us to come to Him.
In Mark 12, Jesus says the first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second commandment, He said, is to âLove your neighbor as yourself.â We canât love others without first going to Christ as our ultimate source of true love.
Christian love in action
When was the last time you tried loving unconditionally through your own strength? These attempts usually fall flat, and weâre left realizing the depth to which we need Godâs strength.
God is a God of love, and He is faithful to refresh our souls as we come to Him. Without drawing strength from Him, itâs nearly impossible to show love to others. Christ died for us in the name of love. If He was willing to die for youâand for your neighborâhow willing must He be to listen to your concerns and give you the strength to love in every weakness?
Lean into the depths of His goodness and divine love, knowing that He hears your heart. We were made to love, and God loves you more than you will ever know.
God is the only perfect example of love, as God is love itself. He created love, just the same as He created us. He embodies selfless giving, peace, and kindness. He is love without conditions.
How to show someone you love them
Love can be shown by speaking, doing, and acting. Thatâs what CHM members do when they help others pay their medical bills, send cards and letters of encouragement, and pray for those who are sick or grieving. By doing those things, theyâre demonstrating and sharing their fruit of the Spirit: love.
âLittle children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truthâ [1 John 3:18 ESV]. A âdeedâ is an action. The truth is that the way to love in the Spirit is to be constantly moving toward Someone indescribably more powerful than ourselves: The Lord Jesus Christ.
Itâs possible for Christians to love everyone, though not necessarily in the same way: Weâre going to love our spouses and our families differently than we do others. Itâs possible for Christians to love others because we love God. The closer we get to His nature, the more His nature and agape loveâunconditional love âwill shine in us, and the more weâll be able to love, in the light of His glory and grace.
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Just like you make sure to eat a balanced diet, make sure you learn to grow the âgood fruitâ of the Holy Spirit.
