Romans 13:10
“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
The pressure of perfectionism, or the need to follow all the rules, is released when we decide to love everyone, including family and foes. The Bible tells us that whoever loves others fulfills the law. So, we may ask ourselves, until we are accustomed to walking in it by practice, “Am I showing love in this situation or encounter?”
Perhaps it just takes a load off when we simply grow in the traits of expressing love, versus placing too much emphasis on rules. Now rules are crucial and have their place, but the Bible clearly shows us the vast importance of love.
Love requires being considerate and respectful; seeing others with eyes of honor and value, despite how flawed they may look to us. The fact that we were created by God in His image is enough to establish that all people are valuable to Him.
Love involves forgiving, not dishonoring. When we’ve been offended, we are bold enough to tell the offender the truth, so there is no misunderstanding. This is definitely not always easy to do. I must say I struggle with it myself sometimes, opting to just pray for them and releasing the matter. Then, treating them as well as I am able, without mentioning that I had been offended.
Nevertheless, Jesus has taught us in the Bible to let people know when they’ve offended us and to forgive them, as He has forgiven us. This releases the pressure of being angry, resentful, and revengeful. Not to mention it ensures our heavenly Father will forgive us when we do wrong or offend Him.
We may not want the closeness of consistent fellowship with someone if we’ve experienced that we don’t get along or have little in common with them. But that doesn’t stop us from being pleasant and cordial toward them, or simply praying for them.
Love doesn’t deceive or neglect, but cares for the well-being of others. It does not selfishly use or manipulate others for one’s own gain, but authentically cares that they walk in the freedom and self-control the Holy Spirit gives.
Love allows us to be kind, patient, and humble. We don’t delight in evil, but rejoice with the truth, not recoil from it. When we rejoice, we express joy or gladness, doing so in the presence of whoever may have offended us by sharing God’s truth.
Love in our relationships involves sharing and receiving truth honestly, when it may feel difficult to accept. If it is a teaching or principle of the Bible, it should be accepted as truth and provided and welcomed in a spirit of love.
Moreover, when we love, we protect, not malign, others. We don’t say or do things intentionally to make people feel bad or to amuse others for laughter. In our offense, we may experience the temptation to expose or speak negatively about someone, but we don’t have to give in to it. The Lord sees, hears, and understands everyone and is well acquainted with our life experiences and the motives of our hearts. He handles any judgment or discipline for wrongdoing well.
As believers, faith, hope, and love are of great importance, yet the greatest, which fulfills the law, is love. It’s mentioned first in the list of God’s fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, and it is described in 1 Corinthians 12:31 as “the most excellent way.”
If we truly love someone, we do no harm to them. We love Jesus because He first loved us by sacrificing His life to save us. We sacrifice by submitting to others per the Holy Spirit’s leading, showing humility and honor to the very least of us.
As we practice love, we are walking in the Spirit, unafraid, as the Bible reminds us that perfect love casts out fear. Thankfully, Christ loved us at our worst, so we can now love others by the power of His Spirit living in us. He is our help when we feel it is too difficult to love, and He makes possible what seems impossible when we allow Him to do so. As we grow in this exercise, we experience the joy of how God can change someone’s life, by some act of love, great or small, that we’ve expressed toward them.
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More Scriptures on Love:
Exodus 20:6; Leviticus 19:18, 34; Deuteronomy 6:5; Song of Songs 1-2; Mark 12:28-34; Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:7-21.
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