How Do We Love People?

 If the most important thing to do is to love people the way Jesus loves people, if loving people sums up the entire Bible like it says it does, then how do we love people?

First, love is not feelings and emotions. Sure feelings and emotions can eventually develop over time as we interact with those around us, but the origin of love is not feelings or emotions. 

Love is a decision. Love is a decision about how we will treat people. It starts there. We decide how we will treat all people. When we choose to love someone, we decide how we will treat them.

"Love your fellowman as much as you love yourself."

"Treat people the way I would want to be treated." 

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

See? These are all decisions we make on how to treat people.

God wants us to choose to love people how He loves people, unconditionally, which is whether or not they receive our love or give it back to us in return.

God loves everybody just because. He made 'em so He loves them. His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that is inside us, so we can love people the way He loves them. We can love people just because too, like He does.

What does that look like? Love is action going out to someone else. Love is deciding how you will treat all mankind no matter what, and it is not dependent upon their responses to it. 

Here is the actions, the framework to operate in:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV

[4] Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I will be patient and kind. I will not envy who a person is, what they do, or what they have. I will not boast or brag to people about anything. I will not be prideful towards people. I won't dishonor others, which is being rude, or be selfish. I won't get easily angered with people. I won't hold a grudge against people. I won't accept or delight in people's evil behavior. I will delight in the truth. I will protect people. I will trust people. I will always have hope for people. I will always persevere with people.

This is how we love people. These are all decisions we make on how to treat people. These are all actions flowing outward to people regardless of their responses. Treat ALL people this way and you will be loving unconditionally as God does.

"Oh man, that's impossible!!"

Nope. Remember we have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that lives within us. We can love people like this because the Holy Spirit lives inside all of us. 

Let's do it!!!

CONTACT ME AT: postjeff0321@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you!!! 

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Love you all,

Jeffrey Post