What if love was the answer?

There’s no doubt we live in a world full of hurting people. We’re all facing our own difficulties, carrying burdens others may never see, and navigating challenges that aren’t always easy to explain. Sometimes, a simple expression of love can make a greater difference than we realize.

I’m not referring to romance, chocolate, and flowers. I’m talking about the kind of love Christ offers. It’s a love that looks beyond outward appearances and sees the heart. It’s a love that sees people the way God sees them.

In his book 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom for What Matters Most, author Kent Sanders reminds us that love is valuing another person. We ascribe worth to them, and we recognize they have something valuable to offer.

Jesus demonstrated this kind of love repeatedly. Because of his love, Jesus touched lepers, welcomed children, comforted the hurting, and restored broken lives. He looked beyond people’s circumstances, reputations, and past mistakes to see the person. He treated people with dignity, compassion, and grace.

What does demonstrating this kind of love look like?

• Forgiving when holding a grudge feels easier.
• Offering grace when criticism seems justified.
• Serving when there is little chance of recognition.
• Choosing compassion instead of indifference.
• Taking time to listen when someone simply needs to be heard.
• Recognizing the value of someone others might overlook.

It may not be easy. Loving others doesn’t mean we will always agree with them, approve of their choices, or find it convenient to put their needs ahead of our own. Sometimes, it requires setting aside our pride, extending patience, and choosing to respond differently than we might naturally want.

Isn’t this what Christ has done for us? We have experienced his love, grace, and mercy. Now we have the opportunity to extend that same love to others.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:11 (NIV)

The world doesn’t need more criticism, indifference, or division. It needs more people willing to demonstrate the love of Christ. What if love really was the answer? Let’s be the ones who demonstrate it.

Thanks for reading, and if you’re looking for a good book full of practical advice, you may want to consider 18 Words to Live By: A Father’s Wisdom for What Matters Most. It is a quick read packed with practical advice. You can find it on Amazon.