Have you ever heard someone say, “You should love everyone”? That sounds almost impossible to do! In the Bible, Paul tells Christians to love one another, be kind, welcome people, forgive others, help those who are hurting, and even be kind to people who are unkind to us.
That might sound like a giant checklist. How could anyone possibly do all of that? But Paul isn't saying that we have to become perfect. He's reminding us about something much more important… God loved us first. He loves us even when we make mistakes. God sent Jesus to show us what God's love looks like. Jesus cared about people who were lonely, poor, sick, forgotten, or treated badly by others. And Jesus wants us to practice that kind of love, too.
That doesn't mean you have to fix every problem in the world. Sometimes loving like Jesus means doing something very small. Things like saying hello to someone who is sitting alone.
Inviting someone to play with you. Sharing something instead of keeping it all for yourself.
Listening when someone is sad. Helping someone who is having a hard time. Saying you're sorry when you've hurt someone. Standing up for someone who is being left out. Being kind to someone who isn't always kind to you. Those little things matter.
Imagine someone at church who always gives children a smile or a piece of candy. You might remember that person years later, not because they did something famous, but because they made you feel noticed and loved. That's what Paul means when he tells us to honor one another. We don't only love people who are our friends. We don't only love people who agree with us. We don't only love people who can do something for us. We love because God has already loved us.
And sometimes the hardest person to love is someone who has hurt us or made us angry. Loving them doesn't mean pretending that what they did was okay. It doesn't mean we shouldn't ask adults for help when someone is hurting us. It means we don't let anger turn our hearts into places where hate can grow. Paul gives us a wonderful challenge, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
All of this takes time… so start practicing by just looking around you. Who is one person you can love like Jesus today? Maybe it's someone sitting alone at school or a younger child.
Maybe it's a grandparent or a new kid at church. Maybe it's someone you don't always agree with. Start there. All it takes is…
One smile.
One invitation.
One kind word.
One helping hand.
One small act of love.
When we do those things, we're not just talking about what Jesus taught us.
We're practicing what we preach. And little by little, one act of love at a time, we can help show the world what God's love looks like.
Hope you’ll join me on the livestream this Sunday! Your friend… Melissa
