Love Well in a Divided Culture: Navigate Challenging Times With Jesus' LoveSample

Love Well in a Divided Culture: Love Is the Greatest

As you engage in reading Scripture regularly, you’ll begin to notice a main theme of the Bible is God’s restoration of His people, the judgment of people, and all things being made new in Christ. As God’s people, this should encourage us to love.

The love that God has for mankind is revealed through His redemptive actions—sending Jesus as a propitiation for our sins. Knowing that we could never be worthy of earning our own salvation, He sent Jesus to stand in our place, allowing us to be made righteous before Him.

Throughout time, we have always lived in a divided culture, yet the Lord has been so gracious to us—teaching us how to love well. Leaving example after example of how we should care for people and treat them. We can do many things that are “good” for others, but if we don’t love them, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, then we’re missing the mark.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

No matter what we do, if our actions are rooted in anything other than love, we have gained nothing. What is the posture of our heart when we’re navigating difficult conversations? Are we set out to prove a point and win an argument, or are we positioned in a place where we are humbly laying down our own agenda to serve a great purpose for God’s kingdom?

We must challenge ourselves daily to remain close to our heavenly Father through our Spiritual disciplines so that the posture of our heart remains steadfast on Him. No matter the situation we come against, when we initiate a conversation or respond with grace and mercy, we are loving well.

Scripture makes it so clear. Review what love is not: jealous, boastful, proud, rude, demanding its own way, irritable, keeping a record of wrongs, and pleased with injustice. Take a moment to meditate on these descriptions and reflect on your behavior and thoughts. Confess with your mouth and your heart to the Lord, those which you are guilty of doing. Ask Him to forgive you and ban those negative patterns from you in His name.

Then, review what love is: patient, kind, never gives up, never loses faith, always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Ask the Lord God to give you these positive traits through the power of the Holy Spirit living within you. Make it your goal to love well in a divided culture, reflecting on these truths and asking God to help you daily.

Father God, I want to love well in all situations, even in challenging conversations. I don’t want to be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal, but a person who loves like You love. Your Word says that love is patient and kind, not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. I want to emulate this in my own life. Love is not irritable and keeps no records of wrongs. It’s hard enough to love like that, so I’m asking for Your strength to build me up. I want to rejoice when Your truth wins out, not when I think I’ve won anything. Lead me to a place where I never give up and never lose faith, remaining hopeful and expectant of You through every circumstance. Direct me to love well in a divided culture. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13