“Being an extremist for love means declaring war on hate.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 19, 2026
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8, NLT
Dr. King writes in his famous letter from Birmingham Jail, “So the question is not whether we are extremists, but what kind of extremists will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?” He goes on, “Was not Jesus an extremist for love: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
The slain civil rights leader reminds us of what Jesus demonstrated through His life and death and taught with clear conviction: love requires more than feelings; the love of God flowing through us is like a powerful river of generous living. As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 13, love is about being like Jesus: showing patience, kindness, forgiveness, and humility. It’s about serving rather than being served and giving rather than taking. Being an extremist for love means declaring war on hate. There is a Holy Spirit-led intentionality to overcoming hate with love.
Love doesn’t originate with us. It can’t be because we’re too selfish, too broken, and too focused on our own comfort and gain. True love: the selfless, sacrificial, agape kind comes entirely from God. It springs from His nature, not ours. We’re simply vessels meant to receive it and then pour it out. John stakes everything on this truth: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Not that God has love or shows love, but that God is love. It’s His essence, His very being. Just as God is light and God is Spirit, He is fundamentally and irrevocably love. This isn’t sentiment or emotion. It’s the defining characteristic of how He relates to humanity…to you.
Here’s the radical implication: you cannot truly know the God who is love while living without love toward others. Impossible. If love comes from God and God is love, then knowing Him means His love flows through you. The loving person demonstrates that Christ’s life is active within them. They are a child of God who genuinely knows God. Conversely, the person practicing hatred, indifference, or selfishness? They don’t know Jesus regardless of their theology, church attendance, or biblical knowledge. You can’t claim intimacy with Love Himself while refusing to love others. It’s a fruit-based reality. Those saturated in divine agape love can’t help but overflow with it. Love received becomes love given. Extreme love may mean entering into the extreme love of another. I was reminded of this with our grandsons recently.
Our grandson’s idea of extreme love is waiting in line for free stuff. We arrived at a college football fan day at 7 am to secure a spot upfront for the TV broadcast. After making our “star” debut, we headed to the tents of the dozens of event sponsors. The lines were long and sometimes wound around in a serpentine shape. After hours of standing and gathering, we celebrated our haul: a $40 gift card, a ball cap, a corndog with cherry limeade, a T-shirt, a cowboy hat, and a pink wristband that allowed us to meet a Hall of Fame celebrity at the game. When I checked my smartwatch before bed, it recorded 16 hours of standing (on concrete) and 18,000 steps. I celebrated, trying to love what my grandsons loved, not without an internal wish to sit down, but with an overall feeling of deep joy and satisfaction. Yes, a light-hearted example. Where might the Spirit be guiding you to embrace and celebrate someone else’s extreme love? It may seem trivial like mine, but very meaningful to others. Or it may be a more serious injustice in your community or at work. Ask the Lord what it looks like for you to be an extremist of love.
“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).
Prayer
Lord, make me an extremist of love. May I fiercely pursue kindness, relentlessly forgive, and radically choose Your compassion over judgment. Let my every thought and action reflect Your boundless grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
How have you experienced extreme love, and how is the Spirit leading you to be an extremist of love?
Related Reading
Matthew 5:44; John 15:13; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 13:8; Philippians 2:3-4
Worship Resource
Ashmont Hill: Love Lifted Me
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