“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35
Jesus loves everyone. Every single one of us. Each human on this earth is known & loved by God.
Jesus loved poor people, thieves, diseased people, and prostitutes. He loved people who followed Him and those who shunned Him.
Because He loves us, we are called to love as He does. “Love one another.” Is it easy? No. But, He has called us to love, which means we are capable of doing so. Even if we have been hurt. Even if we have been lied to or mistreated. Loving may look like forgiving someone, or accepting or honoring them even though it may seem difficult.
People don’t naturally love with a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love. To love like that, there must be a change of heart. We must realize that we are sinners before God and understand that Christ died on the cross to provide us forgiveness. It is when we make the decision to accept Jesus as our personal Savior that we fully know that genuine love He has for us. The new life includes a new capacity to love as Christ loves.
Loving like Jesus does not happen by our own will. We can only love like He loves when we are full of His unconditional love.