Called To Love

As Christians, the most crucial thing Jesus calls us to do is to love. This seems like such a simple task, yet we fail so often.

Our selfishness, pride, ingratitude, indolence, and countless other things prevent us from being consistent witnesses of God’s love. We fail to love when we judge, gossip, and approach others’ shortcomings with bitterness.

As God calls us to be vessels of His love and peace, He calls us to be humble, respectful, and inclusive. We are not called to fix everyone we encounter. People are not projects. They are people who we must love solely due to the fact that they are infinitely loved by our Father.

He does not want us to only love the people who agree with us. He does not want us to only love other Christians. We cannot refuse to love someone because of who they are, what they believe, what they have done, or what they have failed to do. Our Lord wants us to love the everyone we encounter, especially the people who are difficult to love.

And love is not just a statement; it is an action. To love, we do not have to necessarily be extravagant. Love can be a smile. It can be a compliment or affirmation. It can be holding a door. Love is going out of our way to serve others — because Christ says they are worthy of it.

Love is not conditional; it is definite and unrestrained. It is being a listening ear. It is answering without arguing. It is respecting people we disagree with. Love is wholehearted and compassionate — because that’s how Christ loves.

Love is not a feeling; it is a choice. We must choose to radiate the joy of Christ. We must choose to share His light. We must choose to allow Him to act within us. We cannot allow our biases or indifferences to restrain us as we strive to love.

So, friends, I pray that we may always strive to be testaments of God’s love, especially to those who don’t know Him. May we always approach others with humility and compassion, doing all that we can to reveal God’s merciful nature to the secular world.