A Life Hack for Loving Others

God is love, and as followers of the Lord, He has tasked us with loving others. Not judging others. Not putting people in their place. Not acting with anger or vengeance or hatred in mind…but loving others. If we claim to know God, how can we offer anything less than love to a hurting world?

Modern culture seeks to divide us along party lines, gender, skin color, nationality, social class…so how do we approach others with love, when we are surrounded by messages that seek to keep us apart?

First John 4:7 says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

 Not sure where to begin?

Here’s a life hack for putting love into action.

Grab a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil.

Draw yourself in the middle—stick person or fancy, you decide!

Draw a circle around paper you.

Inside that circle, write 1-3 ways you can show yourself love. Examples include: eat a green veggie, spend time journaling, go for a walk.

Now add another circle around the first, with space to write.

Who is in this immediate circle? Perhaps your spouse and children, your parents, siblings, a bestie, your pets?

Jot down the names of those in your inner circle, then write 2-3 ways you can show up for members of this group in meaningful ways.

Examples include: call your grandma, spend an hour of quality time with your son, ask your spouse/partner/parent which pesky chore you can tackle for them, give each person on this list a hug.

 Next, draw an additional circle around the outside.

Who lives in this circle? Think neighbors, classmates, colleagues, friends at church or in the PTA. Write their names in this circle, and it’s okay to write “neighbor lady blue house” if you don’t know everyone’s name.

What can you do this week/month to make a difference for these people?

Examples include: ask someone how you can pray for them (then do it), take your pastor or a work pal to lunch, check in on an elderly neighbor—perhaps invite them over for coffee or a meal.

Keep it going…

The next circle might be your town/city, or the state you live in.

Then your home country.

Then the whole wide world.

As the circles get further out, it can be challenging to define what it looks like to love such a vast group of people. Start with prayer, asking God to inspire you to love others well in your heart, in your home, in your community, and even globally. Continue by sharing your blessings: time, resources, and talent are all natural ways to love like Jesus. 

 Let’s pray about it!

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the capacity, and the instruction, to love one another. We love because you first loved us, and as we seek to know you better, we pray you will teach us how to love each other like you do in word, and in deed. In Jesus’ name, amen.