Loving like Christ sounds beautiful, but what about when you’re in the middle of spilled milk, sibling arguments, and unfinished schoolwork? Is it still beautiful then?
It’s in moments like these, when we are called by Christ to love like Him the most. Loving like He does doesn’t begin when things are peaceful, but when we’re in the midst of ordinary messy moments. Jesus, himself, didn’t wait for quiet settings or perfect circumstances to love. He loved right in the middle of the chaos.
He calmed the storm after stepping into the boat with scared disciples (Matthew 8:23-27). He showed compassion while standing in a crowd that was pressing on Him from every side (Mark 5:30). He healed in the middle of noise, urgency and desperation (Mark 2:1-12). Even while on the cross, He chose forgiveness over anger, and mercy over judgement (Luke 23:34).
The love that Jesus showed and continues to show, has never been dependent on calm circumstances. His love has always been the loudest in the middle of interruptions, pressure, and even pain.
There are times we tell ourselves that we’ll show a bit more patience once things have calmed down or show a bit more love once we’ve got everything under control but Christ shows us something completely different. He teaches us to meet chaos with compassion and always responds with grace.
Chaos might look drastically different in our homes. It might be a crying toddler, or a reluctance to finish schoolwork, or overflowing laundry, or just exhaustion. Even then, we should never allow those moments to become obstacles for us to show Christlike love, but invitations to it. When you choose to be kind in the middle of all the noise, to show forgiveness when mistakes are made, and be gentle even when you’re tired, that’s reflecting the heart of Jesus!
The question isn’t whether or not our homes are peaceful enough to reflect his heart and love, but whether we are willing to love like Him in the middle of the chaos.
Scriptures to Meditate on
The Word of God reminds us that Christlike love is not something we can create in any way on our own, but that it’s something we learn as we remain in Him. As you read the verses below, don’t rush through them. Let each one penetrate into your heart as you listen carefully to what the Lord might be wanting to teach you.
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
Colossians 3:12-14 NKJV
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”
1 John 4:7-12 NKJV
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””
Galatians 5:13-14 NKJV
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13: 34-35 NKJV
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;”
Romans 12:9-10 NKJV
Journal Prompts
This month, instead of trying to do more or fix everything at once, try focusing more on being aware of those small moments where love shows up in your home. These journal prompts I’m sharing with you, aren’t mean to add another to do to your day, but to create moments of reflection in the presence of God. Let this month be less about the perfect moment, and more about spending time with Him as you ask Him to teach you more about what it means to love like Christ in your home.
What does biblical love look like in motherhood?
How can I love like Christ when I’m tired?
How can I pursue my husband’s heart this month?
How can I nurture loving sibling relationships?
How does God show his love to me daily?
Who is God calling me to love sacrificially?
What does patience in love mean in my home?
How can I love others without expecting anything in return?
What tone do I want to have in my home?
How can I speak life over my children?
How can I make someone feel seen this week?
What is one loving habit I want to build?
Where do I need to replace irritation with grace?
What scriptures remind me of God’s love?
How has God loved me through motherhood?
Lord, soften my heart towards______.
How can I show more love in how I discipline?
What distracts me from loving well?
What does love look like in homemaking?
How can I love my neighbors this month?
Who do I need to forgive?
How can I better receive God’s love?
Where can I practice kindness today?
How can I model Christlike love to my children?
A moment this week when I felt loved…
How can I be slow in anger and rich in mercy?
What is one way God is teaching me to love?
Where have I seen love grow in my family?
What does “love never fails” mean to me?
My prayer to love like Jesus is…
Take time with the scriptures and the journal prompts to invite God into your day to day and watch how He slowly transforms your home and your heart.
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