The 3 Types of Love That Change Your Life
— And the World

 

I turned on the news and heard about another mass shooting in a club, followed by a story of what appeared to be brutal retaliation of police officers on an unarmed person.

I had mixed emotions of hopelessness and anger. I cried out to God, asking for a solution and I heard the Holy Spirit say, “What would Jesus do?”

What would Jesus do?

Jesus told us that the greatest commandment of all time is to love.

I have read these verses many times throughout my life, but one day I noticed that there are actually 3 separate types of love mentioned by Jesus.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30–31 NIV

1. Love God

The first is to love God. Most people love God, but deep down they might have some hidden anger or a misunderstanding of God’s character.

I used to spend a lot of time blaming God when bad things happened to me. After all, what kind of God would allow all the violence, disease and death in the world?

Then one day the answer came to me: God loves us so much that He gives us the freedom to accept or to reject His love.

If God forced love on us, it would not be love at all. When bad things happen, it is not from God, but from Satan and demonic forces at work in the world.

I like to think of all the hard times I have experienced in my life as gifts that have helped train me.

I would not like to experience them again, but how else would I know how to help others unless I made it through myself?

The reality is that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and when you understand this part of His character, then you will not doubt God’s motives.

You will realize that He loves you no matter what is happening—even when it looks contrary.

2. Love other people

The second type of love Jesus mentioned is to love your neighbor. He wasn’t talking about just loving the person next door, but learning to show love to others — including those in the car that just cut you off, or those who have different beliefs and values than you.

Loving other people means that you are kind, patient and understanding. If everyone would show love, then we would have a world with less war and violent deaths, and even less disease.

3. Love ourselves

The third type of love that Jesus mentioned is to love yourself. Most people miss this one when reading this verse. But it is so important for us to love ourselves.

People who don’t understand this suffer from low self-esteem. Then there are others who love themselves too much and lack humility or become prideful. Like everything, there needs to be a balance.

In John 13:34–35 (and again in 15:12–14), Jesus gave His disciples a new command,

“… that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34–35 NKJV.

This small command to love has somehow been long overlooked and needs to be put into practice.

To love others as God has loved us is the very resurrection power and revelation that will truly transform our lives and change the world.

It is time to launch a revolution of love. It is the kindness of God that will lead people to repentance (Romans 2:4).

 

Blessings,
~ Doug Addison

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Doug Addison is a prominent conference speaker captivating audiences with clean stand-up comedy and high energy prophetic messages, also shared on TV, radio and the Internet for over a decade. He brings laughter, fun and a unique prophetic style while empowering people to transform their lives, discover their destiny and understand dreams, tattoos and piercings. His powerful messages stay with his audiences long after hearing him.

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