“Let no debt
remain
outstanding,
except the
continuing debt
to love one
another, for
whoever loves
others has
fulfilled the
law” (Romans
13:8).
“You, my
brothers and
sisters, were
called to be
free. But do not
use your freedom
to indulge the
flesh; rather,
serve one
another humbly
in love”
(Galatians
5:13).
“Be completely
humble and
gentle; be
patient, bearing
with one another
in love”
(Ephesians 4:2).
“Now that you
have purified
yourselves by
obeying the
truth so that
you have sincere
love for each
other, love one
another deeply,
from the heart”
(1 Peter 1:22).
“Dear friends,
let us love one
another, for
love comes from
God. Everyone
who loves has
been born of God
and knows God”
(1 John 4:7).
“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” (1
Corinthians 13:
4-7).
Above are just
some examples of
the plethora of
verses regarding
love found in
the Bible.
Biblical love is
something we
should all
embrace and live
because Jesus
loved us, and
gave His life
for us on the
cross for our
sins, so if we
believe in His
life and
resurrection we
can spend
eternity with
Him in heaven.
I will admit
before I was
saved I didn’t
love as the
Bible says to
love. I have
always had love
for my family,
friends and life
but not in the
sense of what
the Bible says.
I lived life for
myself, my
selfish ways,
always looking
out for number
one: me. I
wasn’t patient,
I wasn’t
necessarily
kind, and I had
bitterness in my
heart for all
the wrongs done
to me (by what I
thought was
punishment from
God). I felt
like I was a toy
that He played
with to make my
life miserable
for His own
pleasure of
watching me
struggle.
I used to live
completely in
the world and
fell for the
temptations of
the world. I did
what I felt like
doing regardless
of the
consequences. I
partied, I slept
around, and I
didn’t love
others. I looked
out for myself
only and
fulfilled my own
desires of
pleasure without
a second thought
to the plight I
was heading for:
hell.
Only once I was
saved did I
realize how I
hurt others,
myself and how
much I let God
down by my
actions, words,
and the life
that I had led
from my teenage
years until I
was saved. Did I
mature in my
life, as I got
older? Yes, but
I was still
reckless in my
younger years
and did all the
wrong things (I
thought were
right for me and
no one else). I
was on the wide
path to
destruction and
I didn’t know it
and didn’t care
at the time.
Once I found
Jesus, once I
was saved and
began my walk
with Him I
realized how bad
a life I had
lived and
thanked God that
I made it to
salvation before
it was too late
for me. Only as
I delved into
the Word and
walked along
with Jesus did I
realize what
love truly is
and what it
means for me,
others and for
my salvation. I
realized how I
used to live was
not in love but
in selfishness
fulfilling my
own desires
without a second
thought to the
repercussions.
How many people
did I hurt? How
did my
selfishness
affect the lives
of others? How
bad of a person
was I, really?
If I met some of
the people I
hurt and
affected
negatively they
would not
recognize me,
and they would
say I am a
different
person. Why?
Because I have
the love of
Jesus in me now
and I try to
emulate that
love to the best
of my ability.
Do I fail
sometimes? Of
course I do. I’m
not perfect. I’m
not holier than
thou, and mostly
I am a human in
a fallen world
full of sin. Yet
I strive to live
for love and
portray that
love to others
in the way that
Jesus wants me
to.
For me, it’s
about attitude
and demeanor. If
I keep love and
compassion in
the forefront of
my mind, I
emulate the love
of Jesus to
others and
myself,
reminding myself
that it is my
duty to love
myself, love
others, and most
important, to
love Jesus. If I
keep that
attitude of love
at the forefront
of my mind, I’m
a happier person
and feel good
and closer to
the Lord. When I
slip, when I
fail to love,
when I get angry
or frustrated I
feel guilty. I
feel separated
from God and I
do my best to
make amends and
pray for
forgiveness.
What about you?
How is your love
attitude? Do you
just love and
think about
yourself and not
others? Do you
look out for
number one (you)
or do you look
out for others
and show love
toward others?
At first I found
this hard to do—in
the beginning of
my walk with
Jesus. It was
not an automatic
instant change
in attitude. It
took work and
time through
prayer, reading
and taking to
heart the words
in the Bible
about love and
caring for
others. As time
passed and I
learned more
about love, I
began working on
my love attitude
toward others. I
failed a lot at
first, but now,
even though I
still slip
sometimes, I can
say that I show
love toward
others a
majority of the
time. I urge you
to emulate the
love of Christ
to others.
It’s a great
feeling to have
the love of
Jesus in your
heart. Looking
back on my walk
and my life
before knowing
Jesus, I can’t
believe the
amount of love
there is from
Jesus; it is
never ending and
fulfills me more
each day in my
walk with Him. I
have a
compassion for
people I never
had before, and
a love for
others I never
imagined I could
have before I
was saved.
Retrospect gives
us 20/20 vision
of our past and
I can testify
that the love I
had before
Christ was an
empty love, not
nearly as full
of love as I now
feel in my heart
and soul.
Jesus makes love
complete, for He
is love and all
He has for us is
compassion and
love. He wants
us to love
others as He has
loved us. To
emulate that
love in our life
to reflect His
love for others
to show
compassion,
empathy,
sympathy, and
the care for
others that
can’t be offered
or shown without
the love of
Christ in our
hearts. To deny
Christ’s love is
to deny God’s
perfect love for
us and separates
us from the
Lord.
If you don’t
love as Christ
loved you, what
are you doing
with your life?
You need to
question your
standing with
the Lord and ask
yourself what
you are really
doing. Are you
emulating the
love of Christ
in your life to
others? Are you
showing and
feeling
overwhelming
love for others
that hurts your
heart when they
are in trouble
or need support?
If you don’t,
you need to
reevaluate your
attitude. This
love should be
toward believers
in Christ and
even more
important, to
unbelievers who
don’t know
Jesus.
By having love
in your heart of
that comes from
Jesus, you can’t
help but have
love for others
and concern for
their eternity
and well-being.
Showing love
isn’t going
through the
motions at
church by
helping with the
food bank or
kitchen to feed
the poor, it is
the attitude you
have when
helping others.
If you feel
compelled to
help people out
of motives other
than love then
you are wrong.
If you go
through the
motions of
church and your
Christian life
without the
attitude of love
at the forefront
of your
existence, then
you are wrong.
Reevaluate
yourself and
test yourself to
see where you
stand with love
for others and
your love for
Jesus.
Having the love
of Christ in
your heart will
truly change
your life and
who you are. If
you have love in
your heart, you
know what I mean
and what I’m
talking about.
Yet, if you
don’t know the
love of Christ
in your heart,
you’re missing
out on a huge
part of your
walk with
Christ. The love
of Christ in
your heart is so
overwhelming it
is hard to put
into words. It
is a feeling of
great love and
compassion. The
love of Christ
in your heart
will fill you
with an endless
fountain of love
and compassion
for others—that
will bring you
to tears at
times.
If you are saved
and don’t have
that feeling of
the love of
Christ in your
heart, you need
to pray for it.
You also need to
read the Bible
to discover how
Christ showed
His love and
compassion to
others. Once you
are filled with
that love and it
grows in your
heart as you
walk with Jesus,
and study His
ways in the
Bible—you
will not regret
it. You will
feel a real
fullness of love
that you haven’t
experienced
before, and a
compassion and
care for others
that you have
not had before.
Your soul and
heart will
change and you
will want more
and more of that
love every day.
The love of
Christ and His
fullness in your
heart is ever
growing and you
will want to
seek more of it
day by day.
When you have
the love and
compassion of
Christ in your
heart, you can’t
help but love
others as God
loves you. You
will radiate
that love to
others and
people will see
that love in you
and the
compassion you
have for them.
They will
appreciate it
and they will
know you are a
true Christian
who has God’s
love in your
heart. This in
itself can lead
others to Christ
for they will
feel and see
your love and
compassion and
will want it for
themselves.
True love never
fails. If you
love you can’t
ever go wrong
with your
actions and
attitude toward
yourself and
others.
If people
still shun you,
that’s okay,
because with
love you can
look beyond that
and still show
them love by
your words,
actions, and
attitudes. Have
you ever met
people who are
bitter, who hate
the world, hate
people and just
have a sour
disposition?
When you talk to
them with love
and compassion,
sometimes it
softens their
heart. If you
show them love
and compassion
in your
interactions
with them, they
change, just a
little bit, but
enough to know
what you stand
for and what you
radiate to
others.
You never know
when a bitter
person’s heart
will be softened
by showing your
love and
compassion,
which could
eventually lead
them to the
Lord. We as
Christians need
to always strive
to show the love
of Christ toward
others. Many
Christians
don’t, and it
makes me
question what
their standing
is with God. If
you go to church
or meet other
Christians you
can usually
discern their
true intentions
and their love
of God by their
words and
actions. There
are a lot of
bitter
Christians out
there that don’t
emulate the love
of Jesus. By
their actions,
they show the
world that
Christianity is
not what
Christianity is
about.
Christianity is
about love and
compassion
through Christ.
By their
negative words
and bitterness
some
“Christians”
show the world
and others that
they truly don’t
have the love of
Christ in their
hearts and turn
people off to
find Jesus. By
showing the love
of Christ to
others, people
may want that
love and want to
know how and why
you have it.
Christians in
the best of
times and the
hard times
should always
show the love of
Christ through
them so that
others can see
that we trust in
the Lord and
know that He is
in control.
Many times when
there is a
crisis at home
or work it can
be easy to get
angry or bitter.
I’ve seen it at
my workplace.
When a crisis
occurs, when a
deadline isn’t
met, people get
angry with
others and show
bitterness in
their hearts. I
stay calm in my
demeanor and
actions for I
have the love of
Christ in my
heart, and by
showing them
that love it
usually calms
the situation
down. The
bitterness
dissolves and
the anger goes
away. How can
someone be angry
with me when I
don’t fight back
but rather show
the love of
Christ and
encouragement
through my words
and actions?
Love is very
disarming to
those that don’t
have it.
If you want that
kind of love,
you need Jesus.
If you want to
be filled with
love and
compassion for
others, you need
Jesus in your
life and in your
heart. If you
are a Christian
and lack this
love and
compassion in
your heart it is
time to change
that through
honest and
humble pray to
Jesus. Get that
Bible out and
open the word to
read about the
love of Christ,
not just on
Sunday’s but
every day.
If you are not a
Christian and
want this heart
fulfilling love,
you can have it.
Pray to Jesus to
forgive your
sins and believe
that He died for
your sins and
was resurrected.
Ask Him to begin
to work in your
heart. Ask Him
to give you
compassion and
love for others
as He did for
others. Get a
Bible and start
reading about
the life of
Jesus and you
will begin to
have a changed
heart. Will this
happen
immediately? For
some yes, for
others it will
take time as you
walk and build
your
relationship
with Christ.
Remember that
the love of
Jesus never
fails. With love
anything is
possible and can
overcome
everything
thrown your way.
Have hope in the
love of Jesus
and have hope
for compassion.
Not only will
you bless others
with your love,
you will be
blessed by the
love you have
and give to
others. Trust in
the Lord to give
you this love
and the hope of
eternal life and
blessings.
All Scripture
quoted is from
the New
International
Version of the
Bible.
God Bless.
John Lysaught
John_lysaught@yahoo.com