Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.5.1-2.NIV

The Christian life can be summarized as one of love. Christians are to love God and love people just as God so loved us. He came to us as one of us to save us. God loves us, and He desires above all that we love Him and demonstrate that love for Him by loving one another as He loves us. We love one another by sacrificing our selfishness and self-centered demands for the needs and wants of others. Putting others before ourselves is how we practically love one another. God placed our needs before His own, demonstrated at the cross when He died for us, laying down His life so that we could be reconciled to Him for living forever with Him. Loving people is the hardest thing we do, yet it is the most obvious need the world has and the command that makes the very most sense for God to require of us. When we truly love God, we love people because God is love, and He deeply loves people. We love people by serving them, giving to them, helping them, encouraging them, and sharing with them the love of God for reconciliation to God. This final means of love, speaking the truth in love, is the most necessary act of love, for until a person is reconciled to God through Jesus the Savior, they remain enemies of God and condemned forever to the fires of hell. We love most when we push past our fear, our love for self, and the opinion of others and share the love of God in Jesus with others, demonstrating that love through service and acts of humility for their benefit. God demonstrates His love for us daily in His myriad acts of mercy and grace toward us. We, too, must love people, being exceedingly patient, gracious, and merciful with others while we serve, pray, and share the gospel with others until all of us are children of God who love their Father first and most demonstrated by loving one another before ourselves.