Radiating God’s Love by Rachael Adams
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
“For you to be the host of The Love Offering podcast, you are certainly not making me feel loved!” my daughter exclaimed. To my dismay, she was right. My fleshly, sinful nature had gotten the best of me yet again. While I don’t remember what I did or said that made her feel so unloved, I do still remember her admonishing words because of their truthful sting.
In retrospect, I’m grateful that the Holy Spirit used her words to convict my heart and remind me of the greatest command. When asked, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “‘[L]ove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these’” (Mark 12:28-34).
Jesus’ response summarized all of God’s laws, reducing them to two simple principles: love God and love others. Later, He simplified the command even further, saying, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
Jesus demonstrated this law through His words and actions, loving us all the way to the cross. As He was a living example of God’s love, we are now to be a living example of His love to others.
Jesus taught us how to radiate His love during a conversation with His disciple Peter. I’m drawn to this story because, like me, Peter struggled. Even after spending time with Jesus and knowing Him personally, Peter still disowned Him—not once, but three times. It’s no coincidence that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Peter and questioned him—not once, but three times as well.
Paraphrasing a little, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me more than these?...Do you really love me?...Are you even my friend?” When Peter answered each question with, “Yes, I love you,” Jesus responded, "Feed my sheep" and “tend my sheep” (John 21: 15-17). In essence, Jesus was saying, “Show your love for Me by loving mankind. Not just with words, but with tangible action so that I am revealed through you, and others may come to know and love Me too.”
Friend, sit with Jesus for a moment and listen as He asks you the same questions: “Do you love me more than ______? Do you really love me? Are you even my friend?” I have no doubt your answer to Him is yes. And since that is the case, our words need to be backed up by our actions.
Would the people God has surrounded you with say they’ve felt God’s love through you? Maybe, like me, you sometimes fail at offering His love, but we can always ask for forgiveness and trust that His mercies are new every morning. Also, Jesus knew that we would need His help to live out His command. He gave us the Holy Spirit to reside in us and empower us to live contrary to our sinful nature and fulfill the call to love. While we may not be perfect in doing so, we can do our best to point others to His perfect love because He is the epitome of a love offering.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving me. Help me to grasp just how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. Enable me to love others as You have loved me. Fill me with Your Spirit so I can fulfill Your command to love. Amen.
Dig Deeper: Read Ephesians 5:2.
Discussion Questions:
How have you tangibly experienced God’s love as expressed through His people?
How will you radiate God’s love through your words and actions today?
about Rachael Adams
Author of A Little Goes a Long Way and host of The Love Offering podcast, Rachael Adams hopes to help women realize their God-given purpose and significance. She and her husband, Bryan, run a family business and farm in Kentucky with their two children, Will and Kate, and two doodle dogs. Her work has been featured on Crosswalk, iBelieve, Today Parenting, and YouVersion. Connect with her by visiting rachaelkadams.com, by searching @rachaeladamsauthor on social media, and by tuning in to The Love Offering podcast every Tuesday on your favorite listening platform.
