4 Practical Ways to Love Others Well

By Chuck Fenwick

How to Love Others Like Jesus Does

If you’ve ever been to a wedding, you’ve probably heard an excerpt from the “love chapter” in the Bible, which is 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 

Perhaps the most recognizable portion of this chapter are verses 4-7 which say, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

This is a great way to define what it means to love someone in your life actively. And Jesus was the perfect example of what it means to love others. 

One way I strive to love others well is by allowing the love of Jesus to be reflected in my daily actions. And these are four practical ways to love others as Jesus does.

Be Kind

This phrase is used often in our world. It’s on social media, home decor, and maybe it’s even a personal motto for you. But have you paused to think through what it means to be kind? 

Kindness is “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” All of these traits involve loving others well.  

When interacting with others, strive to be considerate, thoughtful, and helpful. It’s not enough to avoid being mean. Actively demonstrate love through your words and actions. Use uplifting language and encourage others! Don’t tear others down. 

This is important when communicating face-to-face, but do this in your online communication, too. It’s easy for us to hide behind our keyboards when sending an email, writing a text, or leaving a social media comment. Pause and consider how you treat other people, in-person and digitally.

Be Selfless

We are naturally selfish people. All of us often think of ourselves first. It’s totally normal! We have our own agendas, needs, and priorities and these are constantly the first things on our minds.

Also, we have the needs of others in our lives at the top of our mind. Whether it’s our kids, our spouse, or even our coworkers – there is so much to keep track of. 

Being selfless is hard. But selflessness is one way of loving others. And you don’t have to be selfless always. It’s truly impossible. 

But here’s one way to start. Challenge yourself to put the needs of others first a few times this week. Think about what is best for the ones you care about and act on it!

Be Understanding

Fully loving others well requires shifting our perspective. There are a lot of things going on in your life right now that other people don’t know about. They don’t have to be major to be impacting you and your day-to-day routines. 

Maybe you’re heading into sports season with your kids, and you don’t have as much time as you did before. Or, you are taking on a new role at work or selling your house. Maybe you have just felt off all week. You have “life things” going on that affect your mood and how you interact with others. 

The same applies to the people we encounter each day. They have “life things” going on – both big and small – that affect their day-to-day behavior. It doesn’t give them the excuse to be rude to others. However, if we shift our perspective and understand that we don’t know what we don’t know, it can help us be understanding of their situation. 

This is a blend of empathy and forgiveness. To love others well, we need to see the world from their perspective. Pause, take a step back, and try to see the world from their perspective. 

You’ve heard we need to forgive and forget  – but that’s kind of impossible. Love is about being open to forgiveness, empathetically seeing another point of view, and not holding a grudge toward others (or at least trying!).

Be Unrelenting

Love never loses hope. Love never quits. Love persists. If we are striving to love like Jesus, we must be relentless in the way we love other people.

This requires persistence and determination. You already know that relationships take work. Family relationships, friendships, and relationships with a spouse or partner – these all take a tremendous amount of hard work and perseverance. 

Our relationships in life will change – and that’s okay! But love transcends all of that. Honestly, sometimes it’s easier to quit. But, keep moving forward. Be strong and love the people in your life like Jesus.

You’re Not Alone

Loving others like Jesus does is hard work! And you are not alone in this journey to love others well. I want to know which of these actions you plan to implement this week. Send me a text so we can talk about it together.