Immersed in His Love

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34 NIV

The challenge to love one another is woven throughout Scripture. But if we’re really honest, can we say we love our neighbour as ourselves?

It’s easy to love the people who love us back. Our family. Our friends. The people who encourage us, understand us and make us feel good about ourselves. But what about the person who gossips about you? What about the colleague who is rude to you? The boss who seems determined to make your life difficult? The person who has betrayed you? And what about those who have committed horrific crimes?

Jesus’ command suddenly becomes much more challenging.

As an introvert, I know that I can sometimes feel uncomfortable around people I don’t know. I may have to make a conscious decision to appear warm and friendly when I don’t necessarily feel naturally comfortable. But Jesus isn’t asking us to fake it. He’s asking us to love.

The Secret Is Receiving

So how do we possibly love people like Jesus commands us to love them?

The answer is found in His words:

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” — John 13:34 NIV

Don’t miss those four words:

“As I have loved you.”

Jesus doesn’t simply tell us to produce supernatural love from our own human resources. He invites us to receive His love first.

The more we understand how deeply, extravagantly and unconditionally God loves us, the more that love begins to overflow towards others.

John writes,

“We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV).

We don’t manufacture the river. We position ourselves in the flow.

Immerse Yourself in His Love

I once heard the testimony of a man who had been radically saved from a life of drugs and anger. He described himself as a very angry young man before his encounter with Jesus.

But something changed. The hatred began to leave.

Someone asked him how he knew he had truly been saved.

His answer was simple and incredibly powerful:

He saw a man crossing the road and, instead of wanting to hit him, he suddenly wanted to love him.

That’s what Jesus does.

Love becomes evidence of transformation.

Perhaps that’s where you need to begin today.

Before you try harder to love everyone else, allow God to love you. You are His creation. You are His child. You are not an accident, an inconvenience or a mistake.

Paul prayed that believers would “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18 NIV).

And then he says something extraordinary:

“And to know this love that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19 NIV).

God wants you immersed in a love that is bigger than your ability to comprehend it.

Love Yourself Because God Loves You

For some people, receiving God’s love is difficult because they don’t actually like themselves. They carry shame. They criticise themselves constantly. They focus on their failures and struggle to see themselves as God sees them. But loving yourself in a healthy, biblical sense isn’t arrogance or self-worship. It’s agreeing with God about the value He has placed upon His creation.

You don’t have to believe you’re perfect. You don’t have to pretend you have no faults. You simply need to recognise that God loves the person He created—and that includes you.

Jesus said we are to love our neighbour “as yourself” (Mark 12:31 NIV). There is an implication here that receiving and rightly valuing ourselves matters too.

So receive His love. Let Him heal the places where shame has distorted how you see yourself. Let Him remind you who you are. Then allow that love to overflow.

From Overflow to Others

We cannot love like Jesus through human strength alone. There will always be people who test us! But as we abide in Christ, something begins to change. Jesus said:

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.” — John 15:4 NIV

Love is fruit, and fruit grows from connection. The more we abide in Him, the more His character begins to emerge through us.

That doesn’t mean tolerating abuse, excusing evil, abandoning boundaries or pretending harmful behaviour doesn’t matter. We can confront wrongdoing, seek justice and maintain healthy boundaries while still refusing to hate people.

Jesus loved people without compromising truth. He showed compassion without approving sin. He forgave without pretending evil didn’t matter, and He calls us to do the same.

Let Love Be Your Testimony

The world doesn’t simply need Christians who can explain what they believe. It needs Christians who demonstrate what Jesus is like. Jesus said:

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35 NIV

What if love became one of the clearest testimonies of our faith? What if people encountered the outrageous, extravagant love of God because they encountered you?

We are His representatives on the earth. So let’s immerse ourselves in His love. Let’s become saturated with His presence. Let’s abide in Jesus until His love overflows through us. Because when there is more of Him, there is less of us getting in the way, and when His love fills us, it has somewhere to go.

It flows through us to the people around us.

Believe & Confess Meditation & Declaration

I declare that I am deeply loved by God, and nothing can separate me from His love [Romans 8:38–39]. I receive and know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge [Ephesians 3:18–19]. I choose to love others as Christ has loved me [John 13:34]. I declare that I love because He first loved me [1 John 4:19]. I choose to abide in Jesus, knowing that as I remain in Him, His fruit will grow in my life [John 15:4–5]. I declare that the love of God is being poured into my heart through the Holy Spirit, and His love can overflow through me to others [Romans 5:5].

👉 If this devotional encouraged you today, share it with a friend on social media or send it by email. Someone may need to be reminded today that before God asks us to love others, He invites us to be completely immersed in His love.

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