Love; Stay The Course!

January 15, 2026

Love; Stay The Course!

Love makes a way and love is the way.  Love is the way for those who seek the Lord, who strive to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus, and who desire to walk in the presence of the Lord God.

Love will stay the course when life is filled with trouble and struggle.  Love will stay the course when there are distractions and disappointments.  Love will stay the course when there is opposition and disapproval.

When we desire to love and serve our Lord Jesus, we will need to stay the course no matter what comes our way.  In Romans 12:11 Paul writes; “Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord.”  Paul reminds us that when we love and serve the Lord we will need passion, devotion, and commitment as well as enthusiasm, focus, and desire.

A life of love for Jesus and for other people is often filled with detours, distractions, and difficulty.  Our response to those challenges is to keep walking along the way the Lord has laid out before us.  In Psalm 119:1-3 we are reminded; “Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong but walk in his ways…”

Joy comes to those who seek to walk on the path the Lord has provided for us.  However, that path is not always easy.  Jesus reminds us that we must continue to give time and energy and prayer to walking along that narrow way.  In Luke 13:24 Jesus says; “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.”

The good news is that even though it may be difficult to stay the course of loving and living like Jesus, there are rewards along the way.  In I Corinthians 12:31 the Apostle Paul says; “But strive for the greater gifts.  And I will show you a still more excellent way.”

There are many paths to follow in life.  However, there is one path that is more excellent than all the others; i.e., to live and love like Jesus!  To do so, will require us to stir up some passion, commit to a deeper devotion to Jesus, and to stay focused on our desire to love and live like Jesus. 

And then when we stumble along the way, we will reach out our hand for the hand of Jesus.  Jesus will take our hand, lift us up, and give us the strength and courage to continue down the path that leads to deeper love for Him and for other people.

I imagine you know someone who was committed to stay the course of loving and living like Jesus but then stumbled badly.  The disappointment in their failure or in another person resulted in missing the more excellent way of living and loving like Jesus. 

What would it look like if you had coffee with that person sometime in the next week?  Could you listen to their story and let them know you care about them?  Could you offer them a word of encouragement and maybe even a prayer so that they may start walking along the path that is the more excellent way?  Could you be part of the Holy Spirit helping them to start walking in the way of the Lord again?

What about you?  Do you need someone to help you in a similar way?  Imagine a friend or a spiritual guide who could help you get back on the path and stay the course of love.  Be bold and ask that person to sit with you for awhile, pray for you for a moment, and check back with you in a week or two.

When someone gets back on the more excellent way of living and loving like Jesus, their heart fills with delight in the patience and tenderness and grace of the Lord God.  Maybe it is time to stay the course of love.    

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug