“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
John 15:13 (NIV)
Summer’s here. And while I love the crisp days of fall and the wonder of winter, there’s something amazing about summer. Backyard grills, hand tools, bottle openers, bug swatters—all simple, ordinary things that serve a purpose. And each one, in its own way, reminds us: we were made for something specific too.
When Jesus talked about love, He didn’t point to an ideal, a feeling, or a seasonal effort. He pointed to the cross. He said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). In that one statement, love moved from sentiment to sacrifice.
In 1 John 3:11–18, we read these words (listen carefully): “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Everyday love isn’t just a warm emotion or nice words. It’s giving of yourself. It’s a choice, backed by action. John doesn’t pull punches. He brings up Cain—who killed his brother not out of immediate rage, but a heart that let envy and indifference grow unchecked. Hate doesn’t start with violence. It starts with disregard. With indifference and apathy. With turning away instead of toward.
In verse 14, he writes: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love one another.” When love is present, it’s proof that life—eternal life—is at work in us. This is the every day kind of love we’re called to live. It doesn’t wait for a big moment. It shows up in simple ones: a neighbor struggling with loneliness, a family member who’s hard to forgive, someone on the margins being ignored. We don’t just “say” we love them—we show it.
Verse 17 makes it real: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
In other words, if we’ve got the means and don’t respond, is God’s love really growing in us?
Everyday love looks like:
- Using your spiritual gifts to serve—even when it’s inconvenient.
- Letting your heart be broken by what breaks God’s.
- Sharing what you have—whether it’s money, time, or kindness.
- Living in such a way that the people you interact with experience Jesus through you.
Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “The love of Christ in its sweetness, fullness, greatness, and faithfulness, passes all human comprehension… but we know it by experience when we love.”
We often ask, “What would Jesus do?” But maybe the better question today is, “What can Jesus do through me?” Because everyday love means letting Christ love others through you.
In Micah 6:8, we hear the prophet’s ancient call: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” That’s everyday love: justice, mercy, humility—not in theory, but in action. Not in abstraction, but in daily obedience.
Where have I allowed indifference to grow? Who is hard for me to love right now? What can I give, or do, or offer, that would turn my love into action?
The Prayer: “Lord, show me the truth in my heart. Replace any hatred or indifference with your love. Use my hands, my gifts, my time—for Your glory. Let me love like You. Every day. Amen.”
Now, act. Find one way today to love in deed and truth—not just in thought. Because everyday love isn’t flashy. It’s faithful. And it always points to Jesus.
Blessings,
Steve
