Over the years, I’ve made it a priority to study the topic of love in the Word of God. Because when we know how much God loves us, it melts away our insecurities, gives us confidence, and helps us to love ourselves. We can then give God’s love away to other people.

In fact, I’ve discovered the best way (and the only way) to have a happy, powerful life is to get our minds off ourselves and do something for someone else. Helping people — being a blessing and adding value to other people’s lives—is what it means to walk in love and follow the example of Jesus.

Ephesians 5:2 (AMPC) says, “Walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God….”

The New Living Translation says it this way: “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us….”

Jesus—our perfect and holy Savior—gave His life for us, took all of our sin upon Himself, and shed His blood so we could have a personal relationship with Him and become the righteousness of God. That was His gift to us. Then, once we experience the gift of salvation, our gift to God is how we live our lives.

Jesus says in John 13:34 (AMPC), “I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.”

It’s so simple! If we will learn how to follow this one commandment, everything else in our lives will fall into place.

In Luke Chapter 10, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate what it means to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. In verses 30-37, we read that a man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho when he “fell among robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and belongings and beat him and went their way, [unconcernedly] leaving him half dead…” (AMPC).

A priest and a Levite both passed by him and neither stopped to help. Verse 33 says, “But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled along, came down to where he was; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity and sympathy [for him]” (AMPC).

He dressed his wounds and took him to an inn where he could get the care he needed. He paid the innkeeper and told him, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I [myself] will repay you when I return” (v. 35, AMPC).

There are a few things I want you to notice here. First, the Samaritan was traveling the road and was probably going somewhere he needed to be; he had a plan but he was willing to stop and help this man even if it meant his plan was interrupted.

Also, he gave his best effort to make sure the man had good care and then paid for him to get it. He was obviously willing to pay whatever it was going to cost because he told the innkeeper, “Whatever more you spend, I [myself] will repay you when I return.” So, he was planning to come back and make sure everything the man needed was covered.

Jesus is showing us in this story what real love looks like. Sometimes, to truly love others, it’s going to cost us something. But you can be assured of one thing: Whenever you give of yourself for someone else, Jesus says you are doing it for Him, and you will always be rewarded (see Matthew 25:40).

First Corinthians 13 lists the characteristics of God’s love. It says love is:

Patient and kind

Never envious, boastful, or inflated with pride

Not rude

Does not insist on its own rights or its own way

Not self-seeking, touchy, or resentful

Takes no account of the evil done to it

Rejoices when right and truth prevail

Bears up under anything that comes

Ever ready to believe the best of every person

Its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances

Love never fails!

It’s not always easy to resist being selfish, however, 1 John 4:4 says that the Spirit of God in us is greater than our enemy. It’s important to understand that God is not expecting you to be perfect in your love walk or to do it alone. He knows you can’t do it without His help! What He wants is for you to simply seek Him through prayer and by studying His Word…and lean on Him for the grace to do what He’s asking you to do each day.

I can tell you there’s no greater way to live. Today, I have more joy and excitement in my life than ever before, and it comes from letting God love me, then reaching out to love other people. And the more I put my mind to blessing others, the more God provides for me in unexpected ways!

Do you want to sow powerful seeds for your own breakthroughs in life? Would you like to experience more of God’s supernatural joy? Do you want to be like Jesus? You can, and it all goes back to that one simple command: “Love one another.”

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 140 books, including BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND and OVERCOMING EVERY PROBLEM (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.