Radical Love in Real Life

What does it really mean to love like Jesus?

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34 NIV). These words from Jesus capture our one calling as Christ followers: to love as He did.

You want to love like Jesus—but some days, it’s just too much. Maybe you’re trying to forgive someone who shattered your trust. Perhaps you’re emotionally exhausted from caring for everyone else. Or, maybe you’re still hurting.

 And yet—Jesus knows and still calls you to love anyway. Not in your own strength, not with a fake smile, not by ignoring your pain—but with a love that’s real, raw, and radical. A love like His. 

Love without Limits

Jesus didn’t limit His love. He reached out to tax collectors, lepers, prostitutes—even His enemies. He washed Judas’s feet knowing he would betray Him (John 13:2–5). Think about that. Jesus knew, and He loved anyway! 

And He invites you to do the same:

• Show grace to the family member who won’t change.
• Offer compassion to the coworker who gossiped.
• Forgive someone who may never say, “I’m sorry.”

Loving like Jesus means seeing the image of God in everyone — even when it’s hard to see. 

Jesus Looked Beyond the Cross 

When Jesus hung on the cross, He wasn’t just thinking about the pain. He was looking at you.  Hebrews 12:2 says, “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross” (NIV). That joy was you —your story, your restoration.

He saw your every failure, heartbreak, and tear—and chose the cross anyway. Willingly. Joyfully. That’s personal love.

What Loving Like Jesus Looks Like in Real Life

Jesus loved in ways that cost Him something. His love is sacrificial, unconditional, and expressed through action. That kind of love is faithful, not fueled by feelings. Here’s what that might look like today:

• Forgive when it’s unfair.
• Forgiveness is one of the most powerful forms of love—and one of the hardest. It frees your heart more than it validates theirs (Matthew 18:21–22).
• Let love interrupt your schedule.
• Jesus never seemed rushed. He stopped for people—in their pain, their shame, their stories (Mark 5:25–34).
• Serve even when you’re tired.
• Love often looks like small, behind-the-scenes sacrifice. When you cook a meal, hold space for a friend, or go the extra mile—you’re loving like Him.
• Speak truth with grace.
• Jesus was bold and kind. He never compromised truth, but He always led with compassion (John 8:1–11).
• Ask God for help.
• Start your day with this: “Jesus, help me love someone today the way You love me.”

Where Love is Most Needed

Some of the hardest places to love like Jesus are the places we know best:

• The spouse that pushes your buttons.
• The friend who let you down.
• The small group member who rubs you the wrong way.
• The comment thread you wish you hadn’t read.

 Even online, Jesus calls us to love—especially when it’s tense —. Not by winning arguments, but by responding with humility, grace, and kindness.

Jesus loved in real life, with real people, in real tension. So can you.

Love that Interrupts

There’s no off switch when it comes to Christlike love. Some of the most powerful moments of love come when we feel the least ready. Galatians 5:22 reminds us that love is a fruit of the Spirit—so as we grow closer to Christ, love becomes more natural, even when it’s not easy.

The Good Samaritan loved a stranger in the middle of a busy day, on a dangerous road, when others had passed by. He didn’t plan for it—but he allowed love to interrupt his schedule (Luke 10:25–37).

Loving like Jesus means keeping your heart open—even when it’s inconvenient.

When you love like Jesus, you give people a glimpse of who He is.

Why Love Matters Most

Love is the evidence of your faith. Jesus  said: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35 NIV).

Love is the loudest way to share the gospel. It shows a watching world who He really is. It opens hearts, sparks curiousity, and causes people to wonder, What’ different about them? And perhaps even more powerful, loving like Jesus transforms your own heart too!

To love like Jesus is the most powerful, beautiful, and transformative thing you can do as a Christ follower. So, who in your life needs to be loved like Jesus today?

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