How to Love like God Does

In Romans 15:7, I read, “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory." (NLT)

Every time I show love, I give glory to God. Here’s how it works. Every time I show what God is like, I give him glory. And God is love. So when I love, I show God’s glory.

God says, “I am loving. I am compassionate. And I want you to be like me. I want you to develop my character.”

I’ll never be God. But God wants me to become godly. He wants me to develop his character, like father like son, like father like daughter. He wants me to learn to love people the way he loves people.

There are many ways to love like God does. One way to love other people is by accepting them.

Romans 15:7 says, “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” (NLT).

God wants me to accept everyone, no matter what. This doesn’t mean I have to approve of everything they do.

There’s a difference between acceptance and approval. While God loves and accepts me unconditionally, he doesn’t approve of everything I do. It should be the same for me. I can accept everyone without approving of everything they do.

Love is not saying, “I approve of everything you do.” Love is saying, “I accept you in spite of what you do.”

With every person I encounter today, take the opportunity to give God glory by loving as he loves, with unconditional acceptance.

In summary, I’m to accept others just as Christ has accepted me so that God will be given glory. Every time I show love, I give glory to God. Here’s how it works. Every time I show what God is like, I give him glory. And God is love. So when I love, I show God’s glory. God says, “I am loving. I am compassionate. And I want you to be like me. I want you to develop my character.” God wants me to become godly. He wants me to develop his character. He wants me to learn to love people the way he loves people. One way to love other people is by accepting them. God wants me to accept everyone, no matter what. This doesn’t mean I have to approve of everything they do. There’s a difference between acceptance and approval. While God loves and accepts me unconditionally, he doesn’t approve of everything I do. It should be the same for me. I can accept everyone without approving of everything they do. Love is saying, “I accept you in spite of what you do.” With every person I encounter today, take the opportunity to give God glory by loving as he loves, with unconditional acceptance.

The Roman church was a diverse community, made up of Jews, Gentiles, slaves, free people, rich and poor, strong and weak. It was difficult for them to accept one another. Accepting means taking people into my home as well as into my heart, sharing meals and activities, and avoiding racial and economic discrimination. I need to go out of my way to avoid favoritism. I need to consciously spend time greeting those I don't normally talk to, minimize differences, and seek common ground for fellowship. In this way I am accepting others as Christ has accepted me, and God is given the glory.

I'm to accept others just as Christ has accepted me. Accepting means taking people into my home and my heart, sharing with them and avoiding any racial or economic discrimination. I need to go out of my way to avoid favoritism. God accepts me, despite my messy life, impure motives and irritating attitudes. One of the ways I reflect God's love and bring him glory is to accept one another just as he accepted me.