What it Means to Love Like Jesus

“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 (GW)

The same love God pours into your life, he calls you to pour into the lives of others. This isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a command. Jesus said, “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34 NLT).

If you’re a follower of Christ, love isn’t optional. You’re called to love everyone—whether they’re easy to love or not—in the same way Christ loves you. That means accepting others wherever they are treating them as deeply valuable. Everyone you see is someone who Christ died for. Whether they think like you or not, you are called to love them.

When you choose to love this way, it transforms your relationships—and it transforms YOU.

Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:7 give us a picture of this kind of love:

“Love never stops being patient.” Love extends grace. Just as God is patient with you, he calls you to offer patience to others—especially when they least deserve it.

“Love . . . never stops believing.” Love expresses faith. People in your life need to know you haven’t given up on them, even when things are strained.

“Love . . . never stops hoping.” Love expects the best. It looks beyond past failures and chooses to hope for what God can do in someone’s life. Instead of becoming cynical, love stays optimistic.

“Love . . . never gives up.” Love endures the worst. It means saying, “No matter what happens, I will keep loving you.”

This is how God loves you. He never stops being patient with you. He never stops believing in you. He never stops hoping for the best in your life. He never gives up on you. And he calls you to love others in the very same way.

The truth is, our relationships can get complicated and messy. We settle for less than God’s best. That’s why loving others with God’s kind of love begins with asking him to change us from the inside out. You can’t love like Jesus without his help.

Here’s a prayer you can make your own today:

“Dear God, I admit that I’ve sometimes made a mess in my relationships. They’re complicated and broken, and I’ve often settled for less than the best. They need a transformation! So please begin by changing me.

Help me to accept others, just as you’ve accepted me. Help me to love others unconditionally, just as you have loved me. Help me to forgive others totally, just as you’ve forgiven me. And help me to value others as much as you value me. Help me to extend grace, to express faith, to expect the best, and to endure the worst in my relationships. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”