Daily Devotional – Monday, February 9, 2026
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
Matthew 5:46 (NIV)
A man hugged and laughed with his close friends at a neighbourhood event. He gave the quiet neighbour a polite nod when they met, and then he went back to his group. A lot of us do it. Jesus goes against this normal trend. He says it doesn’t change who we are spiritually if we love people who already love us.
Loving the Unlikely People
That kind of niceness can come from people who don’t believe in God. Christ wants those who follow Him to love everyone, just like the Father loves them, in a deeper way. It’s challenging to love people who bother us, don’t agree with us, or don’t pay attention to us. Jesus showed love by letting people who weren’t in his group stay with him and by forgiving those who hurt him.
The Holy Spirit helps us really love people, even those who don’t love us back. We help bring people to God when we are gentle, kind, and humble around people who are hard to deal with. Every act of kindness that we didn’t expect shows that God is still changing us and what we care about as we obey him every day.
Love That Breaks Barriers
Think of someone who is tough to love. Show that person you care by praying for them and extending kindness to them. Be there for someone, forgive them, or spend time with them. Sometimes getting out of your comfort zone can help you become more like Christ and feel the joy of love going out to people you didn’t expect to meet.
Prayer
Dear Lord, please help me love others with Your pure love and show Your heart in all the deals I make.
