“Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.”1 Corinthians 13:7 (GW)
The same love God offers to you, he wants you to offer to everyone else. It’s not an option or a suggestion. It’s a command: “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 are a follower of Christ, you must love everybody—whether you like them or not—in the same way that Christ loves you. That means you are to accept them completely, love them unconditionally, forgive them totally, and consider them extremely valuable.
Loving others in this way will transform your relationships!
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up” (GW).
This is how God loves you. God never stops being patient with you. God never stops believing in you. God never stops hoping for the best in your life. God never gives up on you. That’s what God expects you to do with everybody else.
“Love never stops being patient.” That means love extends grace. You need to offer grace to others.
“Love . . . never stops believing.” That means love expresses faith. The people in your life should know that, even if things are strained between you, you will never stop believing in them.
“Love . . . never stops hoping.” That means love expects the best. Are you expecting the best in your marriage, with your kids, or with your coworkers? Or have you settled for less than the best? Have you become pessimistic or cynical when it comes to your relationships?
“Love . . . never gives up.” That means love endures the worst. It means you can look at the other person and say, “You can throw everything at me, but I’m going to keep loving you, no matter what.”
If you want to start loving the people God has placed in your life even better, I invite you to say this prayer: “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 and express faith in the people around me. Help me to expect the best in others, and when the worst happens, help me to endure it and to keep on loving them. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Talk It Over
Is there someone in your life who’s hard to love? Ask God to help you love them like he loves you.
What would loving others the way God loves you look like today?
Which part of loving others do you need help with right now—being patient, believing the best, staying hopeful, or not giving up?
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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