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Love That Reflects Christ

RaisingRices

Love That Reflects Christ

Key Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-2 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Focus: Living out Christ’s love in the home—with spouse and children.

Devotional:

The Christian home is a battleground for the heart. In both marriage and parenting, love is tested—not in grand gestures, but in the ordinary moments: when you are interrupted, misunderstood, or asked to give more than you feel you have. And yet this is where Christian love is meant to shine brightest—because it reflects not human affection, but divine sacrifice.

We are called to imitate God as beloved children, walking in love as Christ loved us. His love was not sentimental or self-serving—it was costly, covenantal, and undeserved (Romans 5:8). This love—solus Christus, Christ alone—is the foundation of our ability to love others. When you struggle to be patient with your child or forgiving toward your spouse, remember: Christ loved you first, not when you were lovable, but when you were dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1-5).

The call to love in the Christian life is not fueled by human strength or personality—it is the Spirit’s work in us, rooted in the gospel and modeled by Christ (Galatians 5:22-23). The same Savior who laid down His life for you now calls you to take up your cross daily (Luke 9:23)—not out of guilt, but out of gratitude for His redeeming grace.

When love feels hard, you are not failing—you are being refined. God uses your home, your marriage, your children to grow your heart in Christlike love. Let your home be a place where the fragrance of sacrificial love lingers, pointing all who enter—especially your family—back to the One who gave Himself for us.

Reflection Verses:

Sola Connection: Solus Christus – We love others because Christ first loved us. His life and sacrifice are both the model and the means by which we love within the home.

Practically Living Out Christ’s Love in the Home

  1. Serve Selflessly
     Christ’s love is sacrificial (Ephesians 5:25). In marriage, this means putting your spouse’s needs before your own, not expecting anything in return. In parenting, it means prioritizing your children’s needs above your own comfort. The problem arises when we expect things in return for our work, and when we do that it shows the who we want to get the glory for our service. Glory to God Alone is the goal, privilege, and purpose of our lives and yet it can be all to easy to want the glory, praise and honor for ourselves.

  2. Speak Words of Life
     The words we speak should be full of grace and truth (Ephesians 4:29). Christ’s love teaches us to speak encouragement, patience, and kindness, whether with your spouse or your children. It’s a love that builds up, not tears down. “Words are free. It’s how you use them that may cost you.” We see in Proverbs 18:21 — “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

  3. Be Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak
     James 1:19 reminds us that love listens. Too often, we rush to fix or judge, but Christ’s love is patient and slow to anger. Practice really hearing your spouse’s heart and listening to your children’s frustrations or joys. Let me tell you that internally we know this to be the best way to grow in relationship and win the hearts of our children but externally lots of distractions (even good ones) happen throughout the day: cleaning, cooking, homemaking, schooling, you name it – but speaking from experience it is all too easy to allow these distractions to rule your life, so a gentle caution.

  4. Prioritize Time Together
     Just as Jesus made time for His disciples, making time for your spouse and children shows them they are your priority. Regular family time, family bible night, date nights, or moments of conversation reflect Christ’s love by showing we value others over our schedules. “The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.” — Harold B. Lee. And we see Ephesians 5:15-16 — “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

  5. Model Unconditional Love
     Christ loved us even when we were unlovable (Romans 5:8). This is the kind of love we’re to reflect in marriage and parenting — not based on performance or actions, but on grace. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Love, according to Scripture, is the selfless and steadfast commitment to seek the good of others, rooted in the very nature of God Himself. It is patient and kind, not envious, boastful, or proud. True love does not insist on its own way, nor is it irritable or resentful. It rejoices in truth, not in wrongdoing. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Because God is love (1 John 4:8), all true love flows from Him — holy, sacrificial, and unwavering.

REMINDERS: Biblically Living Out Christ’s Love

  1. Christ Loved the Church Sacrificially (Ephesians 5:25)
     Christ’s love for His bride, the Church, is the ultimate model for marriage. As husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, wives are called to submit out of love and respect (Ephesians 5:22-33). This is a mutual love grounded in Christ’s sacrifice. As wives and mothers let us be encourage to do our role of loving without expectations of love in return but out of obedience to Christ’s example.

  2. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (Matthew 22:39)
     Christ’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves starts in the home. This means loving your spouse and children in a way that honors God, reflects His heart, and truly seeks their well-being above your own desires. Loving and showing care for others we would consider neighbors is part of our christian walk, however a gentle encouragement us as wives and mothers is to not neglect our own families in the process of caring for others, as motherhood and being a wive is our role and God given ministry. 
  1. Children are a Blessing, Loved and Cherished (Psalm 127:3)
     Christ shows us how to cherish and instruct children in love. They are a heritage from the Lord, and our role is not to exasperate them (Ephesians 6:4) but to guide them with gentle correction, wisdom, and love. Discipline without love  is correction stripped of compassion. It may produce outward obedience, but it often leads to resentment, fear, or rebellion rather than true heart change. Discipline without love is control, not care, It focuses on behavior rather than the heart, punishes instead of teaches, and enforces rules without relationship.

  2. Love is Patient, Kind, and Forgiving (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
     Christ’s love is perfectly patient and kind. It never holds grudges, and it keeps no record of wrongs. This love must be evident in our marriages, where we forgive, encourage, and endure one another’s weaknesses, just as Christ does for us. Word of caution for unforgiveness unchecked becomes a root of bitterness. Bitterness begins subtly — like a root. It often starts small: an offense not dealt with, a hurt not healed, a wrong not forgiven. It causes trouble. Bitterness poisons relationships. In marriage, it breeds resentment. In parenting, it can lead to harshness. In the home, it creates division, coldness, and strife. It spreads and defiles many.  Bitterness doesn’t stay contained. It affects everyone around — your children, your spouse, even your church family.

  3. Sola Gratia and Sola Christus—Christ’s Love is Unmerited and Sufficient
     In our homes, love isn’t about earning favor. It’s about grace — unearned, unmerited. Christ’s love for us is perfect and freely given, and so, in the home, we extend that same unearned, unconditional love to our spouse and children, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

 In Practice, That Might Look Like…

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