The Fruit of Love

Day 10 –The Fruit of Love

Scripture:
Galatians 5:22–23
John 13:34–35
Matthew 5:46

Yesterday we began looking at the fruit of the Spirit—the evidence of a life shaped by the Holy Spirit. Scripture makes it clear that God’s desire is not just that we believe, but that we mature. As Jesus said, He wants us to bear much fruit.

Today, we start with the first fruit listed in Galatians 5: love.
The love Paul is describing here is not simply the love we feel for our spouse, our family, or the people who are easy to love. This is a deeper kind of love, one that extends even to those who don’t love us back. Jesus Himself said that loving only those who love us doesn’t set us apart. Even the world can do that. But loving others when it’s hard, inconvenient, or undeserved, that is a mark of genuine faith.

Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love is meant to be the defining mark of a follower of Jesus. And if we’re honest, even loving other believers doesn’t always come naturally. The kind of love Jesus calls us to live out is not something we can manufacture on our own.
That’s why love is called a fruit of the Spirit.

This love isn’t emotional, shallow, or permissive. It doesn’t ignore sin or lower the standard of truth. Biblical love holds people to a higher standard because it wants what is best for them. Love doesn’t condone wrong doing, but it does choose grace, patience, and humility in the way truth is lived out.

Love is an action. And when love is active, it becomes very difficult to harm others or rebel against God. Paul even tells us that love fulfills the law because when we put others before ourselves, when kindness, patience, and grace lead our actions, we are living the heart of God.

Love is foundational. Every other fruit of the Spirit flows out of it.

So what stands in the way of us loving people the way Jesus does?
Often, it’s not a lack of effort, it’s a lack of closeness.

To cultivate a heart of love, we have to stay close to Jesus. We love others best when we love Him most. Time with Jesus shapes our hearts. His presence softens us. His love toward us overflows into love for others.

A helpful picture is a triangle. Imagine a husband and wife at the bottom corners, and God at the top. As both pursue God and draw closer to Him, they also draw closer to one another. The same is true for how we love people. The closer we are to Jesus, the more His love flows naturally through us.

If we want to love like Jesus, it starts with falling in love with Jesus.
And the result of that is a heart that looks more and more like His.

Reflection
Who is God inviting you to love right now, not just with words, but with action?

Prayer
Jesus, help me love You more than anything else. As I draw closer to You, shape my heart to love people the way You do. Produce Your love in me by Your Spirit. Amen.