God, thank You for loving me without conditions, without performance, without keeping score. I admit that I often struggle to love others the same way. So today, would You fill me with Your love? Help me to love with no agenda, to forgive when it’s hard, to be kind when it’s inconvenient, and to show up even when I don’t feel like it. Let Your love be more than a feeling in me—make it my filter, my fuel, and my foundation.
Well, hey friends, welcome to the weekday podcast. Today we're continuing our series called what Only God can do. And this is actually episode 24 of 25. So if you missed any of these, be sure to go to weekdaypodcast.com today. I want to talk about something that I think we all need. And if we're honest, we all fall short of it. And it's love. It's not just any kind of love. What I'm talking about is a love that you cannot fake. Now, when I think about love, First Corinthians 13 is one of the most famous passages in the Bible about love. You've probably heard it at a wedding or you've seen it on some pillow at Hobby Lobby. But when Paul wrote it, he wasn't talking about romance. He was talking about church. He was talking about real people and real relationships, about a love that only God can form in us. Here's how he starts the chapter. In verse one, he says, if I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but I do not have love, I become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. In other words, he's saying, you can be the most eloquent speaker in the room. You can be incredibly talented, you can be super spiritual. But if you do not have love, real love, Paul would say, it's just noise. And I'm telling you, this matters because we live in a noisy world. I mean, think about how much we hear every single day, whether it's podcasts or news updates or group chats or social media or meetings. And yet, in all that noise, there's one thing that I think cuts through the clutter. Love. Real love. Tangible, patient, kind, humble, Jesus shaped love. And the world is actually full of a lot of fake love. And you probably know what I'm talking about. You know those phrases like I love you until you disappoint me. I support you as long as you agree with me. I care until it costs me something. And if we're honest, sometimes we're guilty of giving that kind of love, where we love people that love us back, we're kind to people who agree with us, we serve when it's convenient instead of when it's costly. But I'm telling you, God's love is different. God's love is unshakable. It's not based on feelings. It's not based on convenience. It's not love with strings attached, meaning it's not performative. It's actually patient. It's kind. It doesn't envy or boast. It doesn't keep score. When Paul goes on to list what love is and what it isn't, it's not theoretical. He's actually gritty. It's practical, it's costly. And this kind of love is the love that shows up even when people disappoint you, even when it's inconvenient, even when it hurts.
Jesus didn't just teach about love, he actually lived it. He showed love to tax collectors, to outcasts, to sinners, and even his enemies. He washed his disciples feet. He restored Peter after betrayal. He forgave the people who crucified him. He laid down his life for people that weren't even asking him to. And that same love is what he wants to form in you and in me. And what I found is that you can't fake this kind of love. But what you can do is while you can't fake it, you can receive it. And when you do, it changes how you live. It actually gives you strength to forgive. It helps you to stay patient with the difficult people. It prompts you to serve without being noticed. It lets you stop keeping score. And here's the truth about that. When you think about this God kind of love, it is not transactional. It's actually transformational. So here's the invitation. Today, if you're up for it, ask God to help you. God, would you help me to love without agenda today?
Would you ask him to say? God, would you show me who needs love around me today, even when they don't deserve it? God, would you help me to receive love so that it deeply overflows from my life? Because when God love fills you, you don't have to hustle for approval. You're already loved. You don't have to manufacture peace. It comes from Him. And so today I want to encourage you. Take a deep breath today. Ask him to do what only he can do. Because I'm telling you, he can create a love inside of you that you cannot fake. Well, thanks so much for being on today's weekday podcast. If you'd like to dig deeper, check out the resource tab on easterinsugarhill.com for more tools that help you grow. We're so grateful to be on this journey with you. We can't wait to see you next time. Have a great day.
