What Does It Mean to Love Like a Christian?

Loving like a Christian involves embracing a higher form of love, often referred to by the Greek term “agape.” This word defines a unique type of love—one that mirrors God’s unconditional and selfless love for humanity. To “love like a Christian” means making a deliberate choice to love others, regardless of whether they reciprocate or even appreciate the love given. Unlike human affection, which may come with conditions, agape love stands firm, unwavering in its commitment to care for and value others without any expectation of return.

Two Ways We Can Love Others

As believers, we are presented with two ways to approach loving others: unconditionally or conditionally.

Unconditional Love

Unconditional love is central to Christian teaching. This kind of love can only emerge from a deep, personal encounter with God’s own love.

• The Source of Unconditional Love: It begins with understanding that God loved us first, even when we were unlovable or indifferent to His love. Experiencing this divine love changes our hearts and empowers us to love others in the same way.

• Loving Without Limits: When we love unconditionally, we extend love to people regardless of their actions, their attitude toward us, or whether they meet our expectations. It means showing compassion to everyone, whether they look like us, treat us kindly, or even if they actively work against us.

2. Conditional Love

On the other hand, conditional love is the kind of love that comes naturally to us but lacks the depth of agape love.

• Effortless Yet Limited: Conditional love requires little effort because it is based on reciprocity. We only love when we are first loved in return, or when someone does something that pleases us.

• Love with Strings Attached: This approach places restrictions on our willingness to love others. We might withhold love until someone behaves in a certain way, shares our beliefs, or fits into our idea of who deserves love.

The Christian Call to Love Unconditionally

Choosing to love like Christ requires moving away from conditional love and fully embracing the model of agape love. When we do this, we align ourselves with the way God loves us, a love that is selfless, sacrificial, and limitless. It compels us to love others with the same intensity and purity, regardless of their response. By loving unconditionally, we fulfill one of the greatest commandments in Christianity—loving others as Christ loved us.