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Love Like Jesus

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35 NIV

Jesus lets us know, clearly and openly, that the thing that marks us as His followers is the way we love each other.

And even before this, Jesus summed up the entire Jewish law by saying we’re called to love God with everything we have and everything we are, and love other people the same way we love ourselves.

You’ve probably heard of this concept before as “the golden rule.” We learn as little kids that we should treat others how we want to be treated. That’s not just a good idea from your kindergarten teacher; it’s a command from your Savior!

Jesus takes it even further by saying that we, as His followers, are not just called to love people who are nice to us and love us back, but also to love people who hate us … to love our enemies. That’s pretty radical! But as you get to know Jesus more, you will start to realize that what He teaches is totally upside down and backwards compared to our culture and what’s considered normal. Because what Jesus offers is so much better than normal. He offers a better way.

So, are you sick of living in a world that thrives on fear and selfishness? Jesus invites us to live in a kingdom established on love and sacrifice. Are you done with putting other people down just to get ahead? Done with frantic grabs at purpose, popularity, and power? Jesus made a way for us to step into the peace, power, and purpose that come from being close to Him.

And Jesus said this is how we stay close to Him: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love.” John 15:9-10 NIV

Challenge: Start loving someone the way Jesus does. Make an effort to connect with your brother, do something kind for your mom, post something genuinely encouraging on your social media, check in on that friend who’s struggling right now. Pick something from the list above and start loving like Jesus.

Bonus: Watch this video to learn about how to read the Bible!