Jack Hibbs : Default To Love

When Love Becomes Our First Response

As followers of Christ, we are called to make love our daily practice. It isn’t always easy—especially in a world filled with chaos, division, and pain. Yet God’s standard is always love. And as we walk closer with Jesus, He fills us with a supernatural love that grows deeper, stronger, and more visible in our lives.

In a world marked by lawlessness and frustration, what the world desperately needs to see is love—a love that shows patience, kindness, forgiveness, and grace. These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit that grow in us when we remain in God’s Word.

This is why, in every interaction, our first response should always be love. Love builds unity. Love prevents unnecessary division within the body of Christ. Love protects relationships and keeps the church healthy.

Scripture tells us that those who receive Christ are given the right to become children of God—born not of the flesh, but born of God. In this spiritual family, we’re all at different stages of growth. Some believers are strong, others are still fragile and easily hurt. That doesn’t make them lesser—it simply means they need patience and love as they grow.

Many people struggle because they haven’t yet understood grace. And when we don’t understand grace, we cannot give grace. This leads to legalism, criticism, and judging others for things the Bible never condemns. God calls us to something better: defaulting to love whenever Scripture is silent.

The weaker the faith, the more rules we tend to create. But spiritual maturity sets us free from unnecessary burdens—while never abusing our freedom. In Christ, we are free, but not free to sin deliberately. True believers cannot pre-plan sin with a cold heart; the Spirit within us convicts and warns.

Romans 15 reminds us that those who are strong must support those who are weak. We build each other up, not tear each other down. We avoid pointless disputes and petty arguments that damage unity.

Saint Augustine summarized it beautifully:
“In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.”

Inside the church, diversity thrives under God’s love. People of every background, culture, and story come together as one family—not because we’re the same, but because Christ makes us one. That unity is a miracle of love.

Maturity is not measured by how long we have been believers but by how much we love, how humble we are, and how willing we are to lift others up. New believers overflow with passion but lack experience; older believers sometimes have knowledge but lose tenderness. Love bridges both.

We must stop criticizing each other for things that have no eternal weight—food, culture, personal preferences, traditions, or opinions. These distractions make the world mock the church. Our calling is higher: to love boldly, to correct gently when Scripture is clear, and to protect one another from falling into sin.

If there is going to be any true love in this world, it must come from God’s people. Every act of kindness, every moment of self-control, every time we show compassion—especially to those who don’t love us back—we reveal a glimpse of the Kingdom of God.

One day Christ will return and bring the fullness of His Kingdom. But until then, we live as ambassadors of that Kingdom, shining His love in a dark world.

May we default to love—every day, in every situation—so the world can see Jesus through us.