15 Bible Verses About Unconditional Love

I recently sat beside the window with a throbbing head.  It had been a long day, and the needs of our children felt endless.  Feeling like I didn’t have the strength to go downstairs and prepare dinner, I opened my Bible in search of some encouraging Bible verses about unconditional love.

Bible Verses About Unconditional Love

We all face times when loving others doesn’t come easily.  In these moments, we can turn to God’s Word for strength and inspiration as we follow him in loving others.

Perhaps you need this strength today, too.

If so, here are the verses I wrote in my journal as I let God’s love fill me so that I might return to my family and love them well.

15 Bible Verses About Unconditional Love for Others

1. 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

This verse reminds us that loving well covers the sins and shortcomings of others.  We are called to extend forgiveness freely and release others from their mistakes and sins, refusing to hold onto offense.

2. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 

These verses offer practical insights into loving well. When we love others unconditionally, we put their needs first.  We are patient, kind, and caring.

3. John 3:16

Now that we’ve explored these Bible verses about unconditional love, let’s apply them to our lives.  Here are nine practical ways to extend unconditional love to others.

9 Practical Ways to Show God’s Love to Others

Jesus is calling us to share his love with others today, and he will provide ample opportunities.  Here are nine practical ways to show God’s extravagant love to others.

1. Extend unexpected kindness to strangers.

Ask God to give you his heart for the public servants and other strangers who will cross your path each day.  Slow down to encourage weary cashiers.  Make conversations with elderly shoppers.

Instead of merely holding the door for the person behind you, hold the door and smile warmly.

Showing God’s love is often less complicated than we imagine.  A warm smile can change the atmosphere.

2. Learn to listen well.

In my current season of life, this often looks like stepping away from housework to look into the eyes of our children when they want to talk to me, even when they’re telling stories I’ve heard dozens of times.

In the past, this looked like staying after work to talk to distraught, lonely, or frustrated coworkers.

We listen well when we create space for others to share their stories.  Many people are desperate for a listening ear.  Be that person, and you will embody the love of Christ.

3. Serve others in tangible ways.

We show God’s love when we cook special meals for loved ones.

We exemplify his love when we reach out to elderly neighbors with visits, cards, or cookies.

Can you rake leaves, mow the lawn, or shovel the sidewalk for a neighbor today?  Can you grab an extra cup of coffee for a coworker or pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru?

We show God’s love when we find tangible ways to serve others.

4. Extend forgiveness.

Do you need to forgive anyone today?  Extend the forgiveness you have received and show God’s love through this simple act.

Remember, you don’t have to feel like forgiving someone to extend this gift.  Forgiveness is an action, not a feeling.  Furthermore, forgiveness doesn’t necessitate a restored relationship where trust has been broken.  Rather, forgiveness frees you from the burden of bitterness.

5. Ask God for humility.

We are all proud by nature.

Ask God to help you grow in humility and watch for opportunities to humble yourself as you put others’ needs above your needs.

Humility is not thinking of ourselves with lowly regard; it is putting others above us in a loving way.

6. Receive interruptions with grace.

I don’t receive interruptions to my plans well.  Nevertheless, I try to remind myself that the interruptions to my important work are, in themselves, my most important work.

Do you handle interruptions to your plans with ease?

How do you respond when your spouse calls and asks you to run an errand that you don’t feel like running at the end of a long day?

What do you do when your child or grandchild calls from the school with an urgent request that derails your plans for the entire day?

Receiving interruptions with grace is challenging.  Yet it is always an opportunity to show God’s love.

7. Pray for the people in your sphere of influence.

I have an ongoing list of names over which I pray each morning.  I pray for some people (immediate family members and close friends) every day.  Others receive prayer once or twice a week.

How does prayer help us show God’s love?

Praying for people aligns our hearts with God’s heart of love for others.

When I pray, I often imagine lifting the person before God’s throne.  I then watch to see what happens.  I ask God to fill me with his love for the person and show me what he wants me to know.

Sometimes, he offers a creative way to encourage the person.  At other times, I simply recognize my love deepening.  This is especially helpful with people who can be hard to get along with.

8. Pray through your day before it begins.

Similar to praying for others, praying through the day before it begins prepares our hearts and minds to love the people God sends our way.

Most mornings, I ask God to prepare me for the predictable events of the day and imagine myself responding with love.

Next, I ask him to prepare my heart for the unpredictable parts of the day and show me how to love others when they interrupt my plans and push my buttons.

I imagine smiling at my kids when they come to me with knotted shoelaces and endless requests for snacks.  I imagine taking the time to check in with friends or slowing down to talk to the local librarian.  Asking God to fill me with love for each of these people, I pray he will align my heart with his heart so that I might carry his love to this world around me.

9. Slow down and create space to enjoy God’s gifts.

We are better able to show God’s love when we learn to slow down.

We avoid hurrying and live slowly—with intention.  This includes taking the time to admire the sunrise, smiling as we watch our children play, and enjoying all of God’s good gifts.

It might look like slowing down to enjoy each bite of our meals, talking to God as we go about our moments, and snapping photos of dragonflies and snowflakes.

We open ourselves to love others when let ourselves enjoy them.

For example, I love my kids, but I don’t always enjoy them.

I’m irritated when they need me for tasks that I think they should be able to complete on their own.  I respond with harsh words instead of open arms more often than I wish.

When they walk into the room, there are times my eyes don’t light up.

We all have bad days.  Enjoying our loved ones isn’t about being perfect or never feeling frustrated.  Instead, it’s about creating an atmosphere in which our loved ones know we delight in them.  It’s about smiling with our eyes as often as we can, setting aside our agendas to listen, and listening with a warm smile for the thousandth day in a row.

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I pray these ideas as well as these Bible verses about unconditional love have inspired you to follow God in loving others.  Below, you will find several resources to help you extend God’s love.

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