Tuesday, June 17 Love one another.​—John 15:17.

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Tuesday, June 17

Love one another.—John 15:17.

 

Again and again in God’s Word, we find the command to “love one another.” (John 15:12;Rom. 13:8; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 4:11) However, love is a quality of the heart, or the inner person, and no human can see into our heart. So, then, how can we make our love for one another visible? By our words and actions. There are various ways in which we can show our brothers and sisters that we love them. Here are some examples: “Speak the truth with one another.” (Zech. 8:16) “Keep peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50) Take the lead “in showing honor to one another.” (Rom. 12:10) “Welcome one another.” (Rom. 15:7) “Continue . . . forgiving one another.” (Col. 3:13) “Go on carrying the burdens of one another.” (Gal. 6:2) “Keep comforting one another.” (1 Thess. 4:18) “Keep . . . building one another up.” (1 Thess. 5:11) “Pray for one another.”—Jas. 5:16. w23.11 9 ¶7-8

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Do we show love through more than words? Do we send that message, make that call, forgive that slight, carry that burden? Love is not exhausted in grand gestures; it is proven in persistence. In every unseen act of kindness. In every prayer whispered for a brother or sister who never hears it but still benefits from it.

 

And yes, sometimes it’s costly. We might be misunderstood. We might feel tired or stretched thin. But Jesus did not set the bar at convenience—he set it at sacrifice. “No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends.” (John 15:13) That surrender might not always mean death. It might mean staying an extra hour after a meeting, listening instead of speaking, or choosing mercy over a sharp retort.

 

Returning to that hospital room—perhaps you’ve been there too, on either side of the bed. In those moments, what matters most is rarely who had the right words. What lingers is who showed up. Who made love visible.

 

So let us not merely talk about love. Let us show it. In a fractured world, a congregation overflowing with genuine affection becomes a healing sanctuary. And each time we act with love—whether by bearing with one another or building one another up—we echo the heartbeat of our Savior.

 

“These things I command you, that you love one another.” (John 15:17) It is not optional. It is not seasonal. It is who we must become.

 

And when we do, the result is unmistakable: “By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35)

 

Love like that changes more than a day. It changes a life.