Reflect and Respond

Read

1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

Think

You’ve just spent six days walking through the first and most foundational fruit of the Spirit: love. You’ve wrestled with what it really means to love people when it’s hard, to love when you’re tired, to love when you don’t feel like it. And maybe you’ve realized just how much you’ve been trying to give love without first receiving it. Or maybe—for the first time in a long time—you let God remind you that you are deeply, unconditionally loved. Before rushing on to the next fruit, take time to slow down and really ask: What did God show me this week? What is he still working on in me? Because love isn’t a devotional topic to visit and move past. It’s the foundation of everything God is doing in and through you.

1 John 3:18 puts it plainly: “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” That’s a strong statement. Because let’s be honest—talking about love is easy. Feeling love in a worship service or during a quiet moment in the Word can feel inspiring. But love isn’t confirmed in our feelings or even in our words. It’s confirmed in how we live.

That means love is revealed in the middle of traffic. In the tone of a text. In the way you respond when someone cuts you off in a meeting. In how you show up for the person who drains you. In whether you listen to understand or just to reply. These aren’t dramatic gestures. But they are the soil where real, Spirit-led love grows.

This is the kind of love Jesus lived out every day. He didn’t just say he loved people—he touched the untouchable. He moved toward the outcast. He wept with those who were grieving. He made space for those others ignored. And ultimately, he laid down his life while we were still full of sin and shame. That’s love in action. That’s love in truth.

So where has love shown up in your life this week? Maybe you offered forgiveness you didn’t think you had in you. Maybe you served your family with patience instead of resentment. Maybe you sent a text, had a conversation, or created space for someone else to be seen. Those moments matter. Don’t overlook them. And where did you struggle? Where did love feel out of reach? Were there places where you chose pride over compassion? Where your tone turned sharp? Where bitterness crept in before grace could speak? Be honest about those too—not with shame, but with openness. These are the areas where the Holy Spirit is gently inviting you to keep growing.

This journey isn’t about reaching perfection. It’s about choosing the posture of someone who is being changed. Someone who wants to be formed by the Spirit, not just inspired for a moment. Someone who doesn’t just talk about love—but lives it. So pause today. Let this week settle in. The fruit of love is not something you achieve—it’s something the Spirit produces when you stay close to Jesus. And if you’re willing to keep coming back to that place of connection, he will keep growing something in you that the world desperately needs to see.

Apply

Take ten minutes today to review your week. What devotional day hit you the hardest? What action did you take—or still need to take? Write down one step you can take this week to love someone intentionally and sacrificially. Make it specific. Make it real.

Pray

God, thank you for walking with me through this week of learning how to love. You’ve loved me patiently, completely, and consistently. Help me carry that same love into the people and places you’ve entrusted to me. Grow this fruit deeper in me each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.