Three ways to love others like Jesus does

12/07/2024

-pray without ceasing:

“and so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”

Colossians 1:9

It is easy to feel as if our prayers are empty messages to the Lord that sometimes get listened to and sometimes get ignored. However, the Bible tells us the opposite. Psalm 18:6 says "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears”. God not only hears our prayers for our internal struggles and calls for help but also hears the prayers we pray on behalf of others. One of the biggest ways to uplift those around you is to constantly talk to the Lord about them. Make your requests known to the Father and He will listen. Paul, in his letter to the Colossians is eager to love, which means praying for their relationship to be strengthened with the one everlasting God. He prays for wisdom to fill them, that they “may be able to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10). If you are looking for ways to love believers and non-believers, pray for them and let God intervene in their lives.

-give without sparing:

“All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back”

Proverbs 21:26

In today’s society, giving openly without limits is almost looked down upon. In a world full of hustling to gain the most money, to get the best opportunity, and to pass up those around us we tend to forget one of the biggest ways to be a blessing to others. Giving righteously means to share generously with a pure heart and pure intentions. This is what we are called to do by the Lord. In giving, we mirror Jesus’s image who consistently put His needs under those around Him. In fact, the biggest example of love within the Bible showcased generosity on another level. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16. One practical way to give righteously is to meet the needs of others without complaint, to “do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14). If giving is difficult for you (which is very difficult for me) I would encourage you to ask the Lord for help. He is capable of changing our heart and molding us to look more and more like Him.

-forgive without punishing:

“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive”

Colossians 3:13

In my opinion, this way of loving is the most difficult. It is immensely hard to not hold grudges against those who wrong you. However, it is possible, only with Jesus. Embracing the mercy the Lord extends to you is the most important thing in working toward forgiving others. 1 John 1:9 says that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Lord is so merciful that He actually sees us as righteous after we have confessed our sins to Him. That type of love is unconditional. So, understanding this, we must go about forgiving others in the same way. If the King of Kings can forgive you for all the times you’ve dishonored Him in word, action, or even thoughts, then you can forgive someone who has wronged you. Not because they were right to hurt you, but because you have a greater source of identity and a greater definition of love. However, the task remains difficult. I continue to pray for the Lord to strengthen my ability to forgive and allow me to love like He does so easily for us.

All of these tasks are much easier said than done. It requires prayer and most importantly strength from the LORD to love others nearly as much as Jesus does. What is most important to remember is that our salvation is not based on loving one another perfectly, but rather on the example of love that was already accomplished, Jesus’s death on the cross.