Love — a very simple word, a very complex emotion. There are books and entire Web sites dedicated to this one topic alone. Love: finding love, falling in love, first love, staying in love, true love, unconditional love, falling out of love, all different kinds of love.

The focus of this section is not so much on the many definitions of love, but rather on the statement Jesus made in John 13:34 NIV which is, A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Jesus makes it sound pretty simple — just love each other. Stop fighting with each other and just get along with one another. Stop having petty disagreements with each other. Just set all of that stuff aside and love each other!

Loving one another is not one of the Ten Commandments, but it is so important to God for us to love one another that He commanded us to do so in John 13:34 NIV: A new command I give you. And again in John 15:12 NASB, Jesus says, This is My commandment: that you love one another, just as I have loved you. God does not say to love if you want to, or only love people who are nice to you or are lovable. He did not say, “A new choice I give you.” No, He commands us to do so. He says we are to love one another as He loves us. That is a pretty high standard to measure up to — loving each other the same way Jesus loves us.

We are also told in Ephesians 5:2 AMP to walk in love [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us. Jesus’ love for us is so great that He gave His life for us on the cross. Think about that, seriously. Really think about that. He literally gave His life for us; He died so that we could live. For our salvation He died a brutal death on the cross for our sins. That is amazing, unconditional love. That is the great example we are to follow with respect to loving one another. Colossians 3:14 NKJV goes as far as to say, Above all these things put on love. Meaning, literally make the choice every day to “put on” or wear love just as if it is part of our clothing. Walk in love with every step we take. Treat people with kindness and consideration, even when they may not deserve it or are not being lovable. Take the high road, turn the other check, or just let it go when someone treats us poorly.

Learning how to walk in love is a great way to grow in your relationship with the Lord. Praying 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 in the Amplified Bible every day is a great way to get started and keep walking in love. To make it more personal, insert “I” in the scripture as you read it out loud. Click here to read the modified version.

There certainly are many other references in God’s Word about “love” and of  “loving one another” that you can read and meditate on as you focus on this area for your life. A few of these scriptures are provided below.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35 NIV)

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10 NIV)

[Love, for the Day is Near ] Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8 NIV)

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2 NIV)

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. (1 Peter 1:22 NIV)

[Suffering for Doing Good] Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:8 NIV)

Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:14 NIV)

[Love one another] This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.(1 John 3:11 NIV)

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.(1 John 3:23 NIV)

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:7-11 NIV)

We love Him, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 AMP)

Our prayer for you today, and every day as you spend time with the Lord in His Word, that you gain an even great understanding for how much He truly does love you — that you feel His amazing love for you! In Jesus’ name. Amen!

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