Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. – 1 John 4:11

Now, I don’t know about you, but loving some folks is easier than loving others. Some people are just plain lovable—kind, generous, the type who brings you banana pudding just because they were thinking about you. But then there are those who make you wonder if they were put on this earth just to test your patience.

But see, John wasn’t giving us a suggestion here. He wasn’t saying, “Love the ones that are easy and tolerate the rest.” No, he said we ought to love one another. Why? Because God loved us first. And if God, in all His perfection, can love us despite our messes, our stubbornness, and our bad attitudes, then surely we can extend that same love to the ones who rub us the wrong way.

Loving one another isn’t always about warm fuzzies. Sometimes it’s about grace, about choosing kindness when someone deserves a sharp word, about showing up even when we’d rather walk away. Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action, a decision, a way of life.

So today, take a deep breath, ask God to help you, and go love somebody—even if they don’t deserve it. Because, truth be told, neither did we. And yet, God loved us anyway.