Dare to FollowSample

In a world that constantly wants to define what love looks like and sounds like, understanding the concept of love can be confusing. Love is portrayed as an overwhelming emotional bond, as a sentimental gesture, as a romantic destination or inevitable heartbreak. We are shown what love should look like and told what it should feel like. Yet following love that is defined by anything other than the One who is love will only ever leave us disappointed.

Life can only find true meaning when we follow the ways of love Jesus modeled for us in Scripture. Loving like Jesus loved isn’t a gimmick or an emotion; it’s a decision that requires devotion. Perhaps that’s why we so often settle for the world’s version of love rather than the true love we find in the Living Word. Are you loving the way Jesus loved? Today, commit to addressing just one of the aspects of what this kind of love looks like and sounds like. The list may feel long, but the benefits of following this love are eternal:

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 (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Have you lost one of those attributes of love? Where do you need to start following again? Has your love lost patience; has it begun to be unkind? Has your love become self-centered or jealous? Remember, love rarely has anything to do with your momentary feelings. It has to do with your faithfulness. This love is for all weather, and it protects in every season. God loved you like this when He gave His only Son for you. If you follow the love that saved you, you will begin to model a love that will sacrifice for others.

The discovery of real love will leave you determined not to settle for a poor substitute. Let your life follow love; visit the depths and explore the heights. The love of God never fails, and it’s so vast you cannot measure it. That’s the kind of love you are called to pursue.

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. This is a familiar passage, so read it slowly, taking the time to digest the meaning of the words. Have you experienced this kind of love in your life? In what ways can you choose to reflect it to others today?