When asked what is the greatest commandment the Lord answered that it is to love God with everything you are and to love your neighbor as you love yourself (cf., Mark 12:28-31). The infinite Creator and Sustainer of the universe provides for us one word to define how we ought to act, feel, and think toward God and man. Love. 

Someone reading the Bible like it contains the words of life will find the ever-present theme of love. The reason for creation; the incarnation; redemption? Love. How should I respond to God? Love. Why encourage one another? Why rebuke? Love. What is God like? He is loving; indeed, He is love. What is the eternal cure for fear and anxiety and sin and shame and guilt? Love. What should I do when I don’t know what to do? What has God called me to? Love. What should define our church culture? Love. In every situation how should I interact with my spouse; my friend; my enemy; my pastor; my congregation; homosexuals; liberals; drunkards; prostitutes? Love.

Some truths may seem rather abstract and not ready to kick up dust here in the real world. Fortunately, the greatest commandment isn’t to plumb and exhaust the depths of such things. The greatest commandment is simply to love. Dive deep into your Bible and theology; actually read all of Grudem, Berkhof, and Bavinck if you want; learn Greek and Hebrew and don’t forget 99% of it; but never forget the simplicity of the greatest Christian imperative. 

The Apostle Paul knew the greatest commandment and must’ve known the Phillipians were human, prone to wander like the rest of us and in need of growing in love. In v.9 of chapter 1 to them, Paul tells the Phillipians he prays that with knowledge and discernment their “love would abound more and more.” It’s challenging and encouraging that the Phillipians were already known by their love to Paul and their love for Jesus. This wasn’t a predominantly corrective epistle like those to the Corinthians; nevertheless, there was room to be even more loving. I think that means I definitely have plenty of room and need to focus on the one most important command.  

If you’ve not spoken about Christ and His love in you-don’t-how-long, pray that you would abound in love. Confess this juicy sin to your pastor and ask that He pray for you to abound more and more in love. If you can’t recall searching for or taking advantage of an opportunity to express love—from picking up a piece of trash in the hall at your church to writing a love letter to your exhausted spouse or sharing the gospel with your neighbor—pray that you’d abound in love. 

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably heard someone say that Christianity (in a sense) is not difficult. In many regards, it’s not. Many have tried to make it thoroughly difficult, placing onto the backs of the weak (i.e., humans) burdens we were never meant to carry—you know, like the command to never let ‘em see you sweat, or the command to never doubt or question doctrine or the way we do things ‘round here, and to adhere to the list of boycotts and prohibitions. Some make Christianity difficult by convincing themselves and others that Christianity lives in volumes of theological treatises and statements, and in trenches dug in an effort to combat those televangelists, trans-people, terrorists, and ivy-league liberal trash. They’re wrong, but those who make Christianity difficult need love and need to love—just like you and I.  

The command to love is simple and we are the complexities. That reality pretty well serves to show how we can love: we set aside ourselves—the difficult things—and place someone else’s needs, wants, desires, preferences, before your own. 

There are surely practical ways to grow in love—that is, to see God answering the prayer to abound in love. Think of someone you know who abounds in love. Try by the grace of God to be like that person. What does it look like for someone to abound in love? The person abounding in love finds occasion to serve others. She or he actively looks for ways to embody the love of Jesus who’s otherwise not corporeally present on earth. Jesus isn’t going to pick up the candy bar wrapper or make the meal for your sick neighbor, but you can embody His will to (cf., Phil. 2:13). 

Christlike service, gratitude, warmth, and care characterizes the person abounding in love. She or he has also memorized plenty of scripture and read many of the classics you’ve heard of, but these things are treasured inwardly, finding their way out at the proper time to humbly bless others—I’m thinking of an old woman pulling my arm to bring my ear closer as she whispers for me Hebrews 10:23. This lady isn’t condemning anyone on Facebook. She isn’t concerned in the least if millennials are reading the Bible on their phones, in $300 calfskins, or in paperback. She’s not much concerned about your clothes; your shoes; your hair; who you voted for in 2016. And she’s not as concerned as you are about your doubts and insecurities: she’s convinced Jesus is bigger than all of it, able to answer her prayers for you and to keep you. Her faith strengthens your own.

The church member abounding above all others in love may be one of the least famous church folks but not because she or he is sinfully abrasive or smells bad. This person is not disliked; she or he is simply and righteously consumed with finding ways to bless others without a present desire for recognition, so may go mostly unrecognized and isn’t bothered by that. Or if often in the limelight this person doesn’t let visibility and wide influence feed sinful pride—this person knows his or her self too well for that.

You want to see a healthy church culture? You will when you see a church comprised of some people like the ones above and of others who love those people and want to be more like them. Indeed, a healthy church culture must be known for its love, for its welcoming, for its outreach, and its righteous acceptance of all, not just those who effortlessly fit in with “the way we do things ‘round here.” A healthy church culture would be full of folks asking the simple question, “how can I, too, show love?”