soul journey 
If we truly love God, that love will naturally flow into everything we do, say, and think. Love is not just a feeling—it is the visible expression of a heart that belongs to Him. Jesus made this truth clear when He said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Our words and actions are the evidence of our faith, and when God’s love fills our hearts, it cannot help but overflow into the way we treat others.
We cannot say we love God and then try to control or condemn those who are different from us. Scripture reminds us that “if anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20). God’s love is not selective. It is not reserved for those who think, act, or believe just as we do. His love is unconditional, reaching out to all—even the ones society overlooks.
True love for God is shown not in grand words or gestures but in simple, consistent acts of grace. When we are kind to those who wrong us, patient with those who frustrate us, and compassionate toward those in need, we mirror the heart of Christ. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). Every time we choose mercy over judgment, gentleness over harshness, humility over pride, we are living evidence of God’s love working through us.
Loving God means letting His Spirit reshape our hearts so that we see people the way He does. Jesus never looked down on anyone; He reached out to the broken, the outcast, and the sinner. His life was a constant expression of love in action. “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14). If we claim to follow Him, then love must be the foundation of all we do.
Examining Our Hearts
It’s easy to say we love God, but do our lives truly reflect that love? Scripture invites us to look inward and examine the motives of our hearts: “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). When we look at the way we treat others—especially those who believe differently or live differently—what do we see?
Do we love as Jesus loved, or have we allowed the noise of the world—its fear, division, and judgment—to harden our hearts? Do we treat others with kindness, or do we overlook them because we’re too focused on ourselves? Do we embody patience and understanding, or do we rush through our days, missing opportunities to show compassion? How do we respond when someone asks for help or understanding?
If we find that pride, ego, or fear have crept into our hearts, we must bring those before God in humility. He desires hearts that are soft, teachable, and full of grace. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). The closer we draw to Him, the more our actions begin to reflect His love, and the less room there is for judgment or superiority.
Loving others as God loves us is not always easy—but it is the truest sign that His Spirit lives within us. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). When our love is genuine, it transforms not only us but also those around us.
A Final Thought
The measure of our love for God is found in how we treat others. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being transformed by His love and allowing that transformation to shape every interaction. As Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39). These two commands cannot be separated—our love for God and our love for others are one and the same.
Let us strive each day to be living reflections of that love—gracious instead of judgmental, humble instead of proud, compassionate instead of critical. When we love like Jesus, we reveal Him to a world that desperately needs to see His light.
