Beautiful Word Devotional #13

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Ephesians 5:25

You may think this verse doesn’t apply to you if you’re not a husband. But this verse about sacrificial love reminds all of us how every relationship should work. If we want to love well, we must love like Jesus did.

And how did Jesus love? He gave up his life, his will, his desires—all for the sake of others. He did not come to be served but to serve others and give up his life for our sins. That kind of sacrificial love should pervade every part of our lives.

And we don’t have to try to love that way on our own. When we meet Jesus, the Holy Spirit enters into our lives, and he enables us to love like that. We can’t muster up that kind of love on our own, although we do have a choice in the matter. We choose to learn the art of relying on the Spirit’s promptings about whom and how to love. And when he prompts, we act.

Lord, may my love for others reflect the kind of love you’ve shown me. I want to love like you do, amen.