Ok, so I had planned to get this done during February, because, love ;), but, life… so here it is 🙂

I am giving you a new commandment, that you are to love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you are to love one another.

-John 13:34

We’ve all heard it said before, “Love like Jesus,” which we know He commanded us to do, but what does it look like, to love like Jesus? HOW do we love like Him, in our day to day lives? The best way to find that answer, is to look at His example, and see how He demonstrated love in His earthly life.

When we look to the Word, what does loving like Jesus look like?

Love looks like kindness

Love looks like service

Love looks like forgiveness

Love looks like truth

Love looks like patience

Love looks like humility

Love looks like faithfulness

Love looks like endurance

Love looks like sacrifice.

Love heals and builds others up, is gentle, and does not hold grudges. When we look at the ministry of Jesus, we see him going about healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, feeding the hungry, interceding in prayer, and His greatest act of love, giving Himself in our place, taking our punishment on Himself.

So then, what do we do, to love like Jesus? We show kindness, even when it’s undeserved. We choose to serve others, whether that be in volunteering in our church or another local organization, or in simple acts of service to your family at home. We forgive, even when it’s undeserved. (When forgiveness is hard, He showed us how to handle that too.) We seek truth over being right, in any situation. We show grace and patience, even when we’re running late and our toddler has decided shoes aren’t important today. We follow the leading of the Holy Spirit when we see others in need- to lay hands on the sick or oppressed, to feed someone who is hungry, to offer aid however God is impressing on our hearts to do so. We intercede in prayer for the lost, the hurting, even our enemies. We walk in humility and faithfulness, not seeking recognition from others, but doing these things, because it’s the right thing, and to bring glory to God, not ourselves.

I know, I know, easier said than done, Jesus is perfect, and we are not. BUT if He is in us, then His perfection is at work, in us. Loving like Jesus is a choice. We can choose to look to His example and walk in love when opportunities come along to let our human imperfection rule the moment, or we can let the flesh win. One cultivates peace, the other brings stress and conflict. Which will you choose?

For your own further study, refer to:

• 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
• Ephesians 4:29
• Micah 6:8
• Colossians 3:12
• Galatians 5:22
• Ephesians 4:32
• Luke 6:25
• John 8:1-11
• Matthew 5:43-48
• Matthew 6:1-4
• Mark 8:1-9
• John 13:1-5
• Literally ANY scripture in which Jesus healed and delivered sick and oppressed people

~Walking in Love by Faith, & Finding the Blessings, Gerri