by Debbie Wicker BCCC
Loving Well by Accepting the Love of Jesus
God is love. He created us in His image, and His love for us is deep and eternal. Yet, from the very beginning, we’ve struggled to return that love. Adam rejected God in the Garden of Eden, and through that choice, sin and death entered the world. The perfect, beautiful creation that God intended for us was shattered.
In its place, we now live in a world that is often broken, dark, and unjust. Learning to live—and love—well in this chaotic world is a challenge we all face daily. But God did not leave us without hope. He gave us the antidote to this condition: His Son, Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through him.”
— John 3:16–17 (NIV)
Jesus Shows Us How to Love Well
Jesus—fully God and fully man—walked the earth over 2,000 years ago. During the final three years of His earthly ministry, He called twelve men to follow Him. These disciples documented His words, His actions, and His teachings—truths that remain relevant and transformative for us today.
The first four books of the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—reveal how Jesus taught us to love well through both His words and His example.
A Parable That Teaches Us to Love:
The Parable of the Lost Son
One of the most powerful parables Jesus told is that of the Lost Son (often called the Prodigal Son). In the story, a young man demands his inheritance from his father, leaves home, and wastes it all on reckless living. Eventually, he finds himself alone and destitute—living among pigs.
In many ways, we are all that disobedient son—turning our backs on our loving Father.
But then comes the turning point:
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.”
— Luke 15:17–20 (NIV)
This moment of humility and repentance mirrors what happens when we decide to return to God.
Returning to the Father Is the First Step to Loving Well
When we humble ourselves, submit to God, and receive His forgiveness through Jesus, we begin to understand what it means to love well. If we reject God and ignore Jesus’ call, we remain in the misery of bitterness, anger, and brokenness—far from the love that heals and transforms.
Sadly, many people live this way their entire lives, never realizing that freedom and joy come when we return to the Father.
Accepting Jesus Is the Key to Loving Well
When we accept Jesus into our hearts and allow Him to show us His love, our world changes. We begin to see that Jesus is not only the source of love but also our teacher in how to give it.
The Parable of the Lost Son is just one of many examples in the New Testament that reveals God’s love through Jesus. The more we pursue Him, the more we learn what true love is—and how to share it with others.
Loving well begins by accepting God’s greatest gift: Jesus.
Let His love change you.
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About the Author
Debbie Wicker is a Board Certified Christian Counselor who brings a thoughtful mental health perspective to the study of the Bible. With more than 15 years of counseling experience, Debbie helps individuals understand Scripture not only spiritually, but emotionally and psychologically as well.
Before entering counseling, Debbie was a partner in a Big 8 public accounting firm, where she built a successful career in management consulting. After a mid-life career change, she felt called to integrate faith and mental health — equipping others to grow spiritually while addressing real-life struggles with wisdom and compassion.
Through the-Bible.net, Debbie writes to help readers better understand God’s Word, human nature, and the transforming power of Christ.