Radical Love
I adore this sweet picture of my girl with her little friends. Watching her develop friendships has been such a joy. I love how God crafted her heart and is nurturing a deep love for people within her.
Radical Love: Living the Command of Christ
“We love because He first loved us.”
— 1 John 4:19
We are able to love—truly love—because He loved us first.
Our capacity to love others is rooted in God’s extravagant, initiating love. And that love isn’t passive. It moves us. It empowers us. It transforms us.
That’s why Jesus gave this charge in John 13:34–35:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
What Makes This Command “New”?
At first glance, Jesus’ words may sound familiar. After all, the Old Testament calls us to love God and love our neighbor (Deuteronomy 6, Leviticus 19). So why call it a new commandment?
Warren Wiersbe offers a helpful insight: the “newness” isn’t about the timing—it’s about the depth and experience. Through Jesus, love is not just a duty; it becomes a divine power. With the Spirit at work within us, we’re equipped to love in ways that go far beyond human effort. It’s a fresh, supernatural kind of love—radical and renewing.
Living Out Radical Love
So how do we live this out in everyday life?
1. Know the Source of Love
If you don’t know Jesus personally, I’m really glad you’re here. He is love, and His love is not earned or measured—it’s given. It changes everything. If you have questions or curiosity about that love, I’d love to talk more. You’re not here by accident.
2. Spend Time with Jesus—and with Others
The more time we spend with Jesus, the more He transforms us. Our hearts grow softer, our patience longer, our love deeper. And as we love one another, we’re drawn back to the cross again and again. It’s a beautiful cycle: we love because He first loved us, and in loving others, our love for Him grows. This is sanctification in motion—iron sharpening iron.
3. Remember You Are a Living Tabernacle
Jen Wilkin paints a striking picture: in the Old Testament, the tabernacle was the holy place where God dwelled among His people. But Romans 8:9 tells us that now, through the Holy Spirit, we are the temple—His presence dwells within us.
That means when you show up in love, you bring the presence of God with you. You become a living, breathing reflection of His grace. What a calling.
The Weight of Glory
C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory:
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”
Every person you meet bears the weight of eternity. Our love—or our indifference—can help shape how someone experiences the God who made them.
What a privilege. What a responsibility.
We were made for more than casual kindness. We were made to carry God’s love to a weary world.
Let’s Commit to Radical Love
Let’s live in such a way that we bring as many people as possible with us into eternity. Let’s love fully. Forgive freely. Serve generously. Let’s be fueled by the Spirit and marked by the kind of love that only comes from Him.
Let’s push each other toward the joy that never ends.
Glad to be in this journey with you.
—April
