Be.Loved. 25 Simple Acts of Love to Change a LifeSample

DAY 13: Love well

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”  – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

The Golden Rule commands us to treat others as we’d want to be treated. This is a simple way of understanding love. But taking a deeper dive into what it means for someone to be loved, we find that people experience love in many ways. A quick look through Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages tells us that. Some people receive it through words of affirmation, others through quality time. 

Regardless of the way one experiences love best, one thing is clear: loving others takes intentionality and specificity. It invites us to view each person as unique individuals, beloved, called to be His children, and gifted in such a way that can never be replicated. 

Loving others well means that we have looked them in the eyes and sought to see them as they are. We have spoken their names and promised to be patient and kind, to be humble and honoring, to be forgiving and everlasting in our commitment to them. 

Loving well is how Jesus honored the woman at the well, how He spoke words of forgiveness to the thief on the cross, and how He ultimately invites people into the family of God through His outstretched arms. 

Loving well isn’t simply a kind gesture or a one-time act of kindness. Loving well means that we model Christ in all we do, with each person we meet. It means we honor the unique makeup of each person, and help fold them further into the love of God.

Today, reflect on what it means to love those in your life well. Take 15 minutes and write down the names of four people in your life and how you can love them well today. And then go do it. 

Write how you felt doing this, and what God did through this. Then reflect on how Jesus Christ loves you well, and thank Him for all his simple acts of kindness to you.