Loving God/Loving Others

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV)

The command to love God and others is at the heart of the Christian life. When Jesus summarized the law, He clarified that these two principles are inseparable. Loving God with all our being is the highest call, yet this love cannot exist in isolation. It overflows into how we treat the people around us. John affirms this when he writes, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20, NIV).

Loving God without loving others is a contradiction. God’s nature is love (1 John 4:8), and when we experience His love, it transforms us. His love enables us to love others selflessly and sacrificially. When we fail to extend that love to others, we reveal a disconnect in our relationship with Him. Our actions toward people are a reflection of our relationship with God.

It’s easy to love those who are kind to us, but the challenge lies in loving those who are difficult, those who hurt us, or those who are different from us. Yet, Jesus taught us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Why? Because that’s what God did for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). His love was not based on our merit but on His character.

Imagine a vertical and horizontal beam forming a cross. The vertical beam represents our love for God—reaching upward, connecting us to Him. The horizontal beam represents our love for others—stretching outward to those around us. For the cross to stand firm, both beams must be in place and properly balanced. If we focus only on loving God without loving others, our faith becomes unstable, like a one-sided cross. Similarly, if we try to love others without being rooted in God’s love, we lack the strength and foundation to love genuinely. Together, these two dimensions create the full picture of Christ’s commandment.

Encouragement and Practical Ways to Show Love:

1. Start with Prayer: Ask God to fill your heart with His love and help you see others through His eyes.

2. Serve Sacrificially: Look for ways to meet the needs of others, whether it’s through acts of kindness, words of encouragement, or sharing your resources.

3. Practice Forgiveness: Let go of bitterness and choose to forgive as God has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).

4. Be Present: Sometimes, loving others means simply showing up, listening, and offering your time and attention.

5. Share the Gospel: The greatest act of love is pointing someone to Jesus, the source of eternal life.

   
   

Remember, loving others isn’t about perfection but about progress. As you abide in Christ and grow in His love, your ability to love others will deepen and expand.

Challenge: This week, identify one person who is difficult for you to love. Commit to praying for them daily and look for one tangible way to show them kindness. Trust God to work in your heart and theirs through your obedience.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me unconditionally and showing me what true love looks like through Jesus. Help me to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Let Your love flow through me so that I can love others as You have loved me. Teach me to forgive, serve, and show compassion, even when it’s hard. Transform my heart so that my life reflects Your love. I lift up the people I struggle to love, and I ask for Your grace to see them as You do. Use me to be a light that points others to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.