5 Simple Ways to Show God's Love to Others

November 25, 2019
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Table of Contents:

1. Introduction

2. What’s So Great About God’s Love?

3. 5 Bible Verses About God’s Love

4. Love Others By Listening

5. Show the Love of God With Your Generosity

6. Love Others by Being Encouraging

7. Show the Love of God with Acts of Kindness

8. Show the Love of Jesus By Praying for Others

9. You Really Can Share God’s Love With Everyone

Introduction

Everyone who follows Jesus is meant to share His love with others. Sharing the love of God is the joy and the privilege of all who follow Christ. As Christians, we get to share God’s love daily and follow in the ways of our Savior. 

Remember, every single person we meet is loved by God and is someone Jesus died for. Everyone we encounter through the day - strangers, acquaintances, friends, family - can experience God’s love through us!  Every day, we have the opportunity to show God’s love to others.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” -John 13:34-35

God commands us to love one another. Love is supposed to be the defining characteristic of our lives as Christians.

Has that been your experience? Is that how you would describe yourself - as loving to one another?

Some people are naturally loving, but that’s not always the case. Some people aren’t naturally compassionate or people-focused. God has created us each uniquely, but we are all commanded to love.

Related Post: 5 Truths About Loving Difficult People

What is so Great About God’s Love?

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

The Bible says that not only does love come from God, but God is love. Godly love has the same characteristics of God Himself. Just as God is patient, faithful, and unending, God’s love is also patient, faithful, and unending. God’s love is unconditional and unearned. 

That’s why Christians believe showing God’s love to others is so important. Once we have experienced His unconditional love, we want others to experience it as well.

5 Bible Verses About God’s Love

First of all, Psalm 136 tells us that “His love endures forever” 26 times!

When scriptures on God’s love say that His love endures forever, the Bible is declaring a truth that goes beyond our current circumstances. It's a promise that we can cling to in difficult times.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. - Ephesians 2:4-5

When talking about God’s love, verses like this one remind us that His love doesn't depend on our worthiness or our ability to reciprocate. We were dead in our transgressions, but Christ made us alive! Isn’t that good news? 

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

This scripture about Jesus’s sacrifice is a powerful reminder that God's love for us is not based on our goodness. In fact, it's quite the opposite. While we were still sinners, while we were still far from God, Christ died for us. That's how much He loves us. 

We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. - Psalm 68:5-6

It is so good to know that we can relate to God as a faithful father Who is with us, no matter what we’re going through. This Bible verse in Psalm 68 says that He provides the lonely with families. As followers of Jesus, we can be like God in how we love the widow, the orphan, and the lonely. Scripture says that “pure and undefiled religion” is to take care of the least of these. See James 1:27

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. - Isaiah 54:10

For more scriptures about the love of God: 10 Bible Verses About God’s Love for You

It doesn’t have to be complicated! Here are 5 simple ways to show God’s love to others:

Love Others by Listening

In today’s culture, it seems like so many voices are speaking (and often shouting). Communication is always at our fingertips through email, text, social media, and the 24-hour news cycle. 

While social media has increased communication, it has also given us the false appearance of true connection and real relationships. In fact, Generation Z, who are the most “connected,” are also considered the loneliest generation.

It is rare for people to feel truly heard. Thankfully, we can change this and show God’s love to others by listening well! Commit to slow down, ask questions, and really listen to people. Listen to understand, not just to prepare your response. Allow people to speak their minds without interruption or judgment. People will feel valued (and loved!) when they are heard and understood. One of the easiest ways to do this is through a process called active listening. Watch this one-minute Active Listening video to see how you can love others by listening in real-time.

Show the Love of God With Your Generosity

Sometimes sharing the love of God is as simple as being generous like God. Can you think of a time in your life when someone showed you such generosity that you still think, “Wow, I can’t believe they did that for me?”

Maybe it was a gift of their time when you needed someone. Maybe it was a financially generous gift. Perhaps they shared kind words or stood up for you in a difficult time. How did that moment make you feel?

You probably felt loved. You felt seen. You felt valued to the point that you still remember that act of generosity. And as we grow in the ways of Jesus, we become like Him. Jesus is the most generous person in history. Here are some Bible verses about being generous like God:

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. - Proverbs 11:25
And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive. - Acts 20:35

When we love someone, we give to them. That loving characteristic comes from God! After all, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave…”

He loved, so He gave. We love our spouse, children, friends, so we give to them. God created His love to be a generous kind of love.

Of course, people think of money when talking about generosity, and that is one aspect of generosity. But, how can you also be generous with your time, talents, and your voice?

Who can you invest some time into, either by helping them with a practical need or some quality time? What special skills or talents can you provide? Who can you advocate for or encourage?

Love Others by Being Encouraging

Everyone we meet is carrying some kind of burden. Even the most “put-together” people have something weighing them down. Just because someone carries it well doesn’t mean it’s not heavy. 

How can we help to lift someone’s burdens? It can be as simple as words of encouragement. When we do this, we can help carry the heavy load of life and love others by being encouraging. 

The word “encourage” comes from an Old French word that means to “make strong.” When we encourage one another, we are making their spirits strong. We are strengthening their hope, faith, and resolve to keep going.

In the New Testament, we meet Barnabas, a Christian in the early church known for his incredible and consistent encouragement. You can read about him in the Book of Acts: 

News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. - Acts 11: 22 -24

Just like Baranabas, we encourage you: don’t hesitate to speak life-giving words into someone’s circumstances. Encouragement can’t hurt, and it most certainly can help someone gain strength in their life.

Show the Love of God With Acts of Kindness

Showing kindness means thinking about the other person more than you think about yourself. What are their needs? What would make their lives better?

It doesn’t have to be huge, but it should be thoughtful. Being thoughtful and kind communicates to the other person that you value their needs above your own.

Selfless love comes from God. 1 Corinthians 13:5 says that love “is not self-seeking.”

Practice being others-focused. Show God’s love with acts of kindness. Looking for ideas? Here’s a huge list of Acts of Kindness.

Show the Love of Jesus by Praying for Others

Pray for people! Yes, pray for them in your own time with God, because God hears our prayers. But, also pray for people when you’re with them.

One of the easiest ways to show love and concern is to pray with someone right then and there. In any conversation, at any time, simply ask, "How can I pray for you?"

If someone mentions they're sick, stressed, or excited, simply ask, "Can I pray for you?"

And then pray with them. Show them love and genuinely pray for their needs or thank God for their good news. See how God works through those powerful moments of prayer.

We have collectively done this hundreds of times and have countless stories of people overcome with appreciation, love, and genuine heart change. It’s also a great way to open up a conversation about faith.

Related Post: 7 Truths the Bible Teaches About Love

You Really Can Share God’s Love With Everyone

God’s Love is for everyone. Does that mean your combative neighbor? Yes. Your estranged sibling? Yep. Your micro-managing boss? Yes, it includes them, too. God loves each of them, individually, so much that He sent His son, Jesus, to die for them.

Everyone we encounter -- EVERYONE -- is someone that God loves and Jesus died for. Even difficult people.

Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not a select few. He died for our sins without conditions. In fact, He suffered and died knowing the world rejected Him, and we continue to reject Him daily when we fall short. Yet He loved us enough to take our place.

This is what God’s love is all about! It is love with no strings attached. His love expects nothing in return. Pure, sacrificial love.

When we show this kind of love, we are showing God’s love. It’s His love shining through us. If it seems difficult to muster up your own love for someone, focus on the fact that you are being a conduit for God’s love to flow through. It’s not by your own strength, but through God’s. This is how you show God’s love to others even when it seems difficult.

Conclusion

In today’s world full of pain and conflict, God’s love is worth sharing. It’s worth stepping out of our comfort zones, maybe taking a small risk, and stepping out in faith.

How can you show God’s love to someone today?

Related: 20 Bible Verses About God's Love

Author

Every single person we meet is loved by God and is someone Jesus died for. Everyone we encounter through the day - strangers, acquaintances, friends, family - can experience God’s love through you.

Ask About My Faith

Our hope is to Encourage, Equip and Empower you to share your faith!

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