In a situation like that, it can be tempting to get angry. However, I thought, “Maybe they’re having a really bad day or received some really bad news.” As I pulled up to the window to pay for my coffee, I decided to pay for their coffee as well. Instead of responding in anger—which is what I wanted to do—I did what Jesus would do. I chose love.
WHERE IS THE LOVE?
As I look across the landscape of the world today, it seriously concerns me how angry people are. The amount of anger, judgment, and arguing on social media alone is disturbing. It’s especially sad when I see Spirit-filled people, pastors, and ministers engage in that type of behavior.
It seems that as God-loving people, we’ve lost some of our love walk. Over the past three years in particular, we have lost some of our kindness. I believe it is time for us to get back to studying, reading about, and walking in the love of God.
The Apostle John had a lot to say about walking in love.
1 JOHN 4:7–8 (AMP)
7 Beloved, let us [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience].
8 The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.] You see, God doesn’t just walk in love. He is love! It’s in His DNA. He can’t help but love. And as God’s children, we have that same love in our DNA because His love has been abundantly poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).
Someone may say, “I’m impatient. I can’t help it. It’s just who I am.” If you have been born again, it is not just who you are. Once we are saved, God’s nature becomes our nature. Therefore, we no longer have any excuse for not walking in love.
God doesn’t just walk in love. He is love! It’s in His DNA. He can’t help but love. And as God’s children, that same love is a part of our DNA.
1 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father];
2 and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
One way we can walk in love is by valuing others. Most people take care of the things they value. When we value people, we take care of them. We don’t use them or treat them like trash.
Love is full of empathy. Empathy is the ability to relate to someone else’s pain. We may not agree with everyone, but we don’t have to be disagreeable with them. Empathy seeks to understand and relate to what someone else is going through.
Love is full of compassion. Compassion is a feeling that arises when you’re confronted with another person’s suffering, and it motivates you to relieve it. Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus being moved with compassion and using His power to relieve the suffering. When we see someone who is unsaved or hurting, we should be moved with compassion because we have the answer to help them.
Love unselfishly seeks the best for others. This takes sacrifice on our part. Sacrifice is basically putting aside what we want for someone else’s sake. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice when He came to earth and died on the cross for us. He did it because He loved us. It wasn’t what was best for Him, but it was best for us so we could live eternally with the Father in Heaven.
WE HAVE A CHOICE
Choosing love isn’t always easy. Walking in love is in direct opposition to our selfish human nature. Each day we must decide whether we will choose love or revert to our old ways of doing only what is good for us.
It doesn’t bother me when non-Christians are rude, nasty, and mean. They’re simply doing what is natural for someone who doesn’t know Jesus. But when I see Spirit-led Christians being angry, selfish, and judgmental, or lashing out on social media, I have a hard time with that. God’s love lives in us. We should know better.
I’m convinced that this whole Christian thing we do every day and give our lives for is not about us and how much God can bless us. It’s all about how much we can love others.
My challenge to you is simply to walk in love. Choose to value others, to practice empathy and compassion, and to sacrifice your desires for what’s best for others. When we all do that, our families will look different. Our marriages and relationships will change. Our whole world will change. And we’ll be able to minister to people and reach them by simply choosing love.
Galatians 5:22–23 (TPT) says, “But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.”
However others treat us and whatever they say about us, these qualities produced in our hearts by the Holy Spirit through God’s love should be limitless in us.
Insert your name in the blank to personalize these verses, and speak them over yourself daily.
___________ has joy that overflows.
___________ has peace that subdues.
___________ has patience that endures.
___________ is kindness in action.
___________ lives a life full of virtue.
___________ has faith that prevails.
___________ is gentle of heart.
___________ has strength of spirit.
Author
Denise Hagin Burns
Share this Post