The 3 Types of Love That Change Your Life—And the World

I turned on the news and heard about another mass shooting in a club, followed by a story of what appeared to be brutal retaliation of police officers on an unarmed person.

I had mixed emotions of hopelessness and anger. I cried out to God, asking for a solution and I heard the Holy Spirit say, “What would Jesus do?”

What would Jesus do?

Jesus told us that the greatest commandment of all time is to love. I have read these verses many times throughout my life, but one day I noticed that there are actually 3 separate types of love mentioned by Jesus.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30–31 NIV

1. Love God

The first is to love God. Most people love God, but deep down they might have some hidden anger or a misunderstanding of God’s character. I used to spend a lot of time blaming God when bad things happened to me. After all, what kind of God would allow all the violence, disease and death in the world?

Then one day the answer came to me: God loves us so much that He gives us the freedom to accept or to reject His love. If God forced love on us, it would not be love at all. When bad things happen, it is not from God, but from Satan and demonic forces at work in the world.

I like to think of all the hard times I have experienced in my life as gifts that have helped train me. I would not like to experience them again, but how else would I know how to help others unless I made it through myself?

The reality is that God is love” (1 John 4:8), and when you understand this part of His character, then you will not doubt God’s motives. You will realize that He loves you no matter what is happening—even when it looks contrary.

2. Love other people

The second type of love Jesus mentioned is to love your neighbor. He wasn’t talking about just loving the person next door, but learning to show love to others—including those in the car that just cut you off, or those who have different beliefs and values than you.

Loving other people means that you are kind, patient and understanding. If everyone would show love, then we would have a world with less war and violent deaths, and even less disease.

3. Love ourselves

The third type of love that Jesus mentioned is to love yourself. Most people miss this one when reading this verse. But it is so important for us to love ourselves.

People who don’t understand this suffer from low self-esteem. Then there are others who love themselves too much and lack humility or become prideful. Like everything, there needs to be a balance.

In John 13:34–35 (and again in 15:12–14), Jesus gave His disciples a new command, “… that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34–35 NKJV

This small command to love has somehow been long overlooked and needs to be put into practice. To love others as God has loved us is the very resurrection power and revelation that will truly transform our lives and change the world.

It is time to launch a revolution of love. It is the kindness of God that will lead people to repentance (Romans 2:4).

With all my love,

Doug Addison
DougAddison.com

P.S. To take this a step further on what this looks like on a “naturally supernatural” level, I invite you to discover the key God revealed to me about how to open the heavens over your life and step into a time of blessing.

Doug Addison is a prophetic speaker, author and coach. He is known for his Daily Prophetic Words, Spirit Connection webcast, podcast and blog. Doug’s message of love, hope and having fun reaches people around the world! His powerful, positively funny teaching style and coaching helps open people to discover their destiny and experience God’s supernatural love and power. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California where he is impacting the arts, entertainment and media industries.

 

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Doug Addison

Doug Addison is the founder and president of InLight Connection. Doug is a prophetic speaker, author and coach. He is best known for his Daily Prophetic Words and Spirit Connection podcast and blog. Doug’s message of love, hope and acceptance reaches people around the world! His powerful, lighthearted style of teaching and coaching helps open people to discover their spiritual identity and personal destiny as they experience God’s supernatural love and power. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California where they are impacting the arts and entertainment and media industries.

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    • Richelle
    • July 21, 2017
    Reply

    Pastor Doug,
    Thank you for sharing God’s word with us on Three Kinds Of Love.
    I am blessed from the prophetic words you receive from Father God.
    Keep me in your prayers.
    Glory to God in the highest.

      • Nikki, InLight Connection
      • July 21, 2017
      Reply

      You are welcome, Richelle. Thank you for reading. Blessing you now and praying God’s love over you.

    • Timothy Losee
    • July 20, 2017
    Reply

    We are children of love, conceived in love, born in love, raised in love, for the glory of love – God!!! This is how we ought to see ourselves…this is how our love sees us.

      • Nikki, InLight Connection
      • July 21, 2017
      Reply

      Amen, Timothy! All so true. We are so blessed to be called children of God.

    • Grace Christie
    • July 20, 2017
    Reply

    So appreciate all you teach us, thankyou!

      • Nikki, InLight Connection
      • July 20, 2017
      Reply

      Your welcome Grace. Thank you for reading :).

    • Getd Turid Lohne Olsen
    • July 20, 2017
    Reply

    I love your messages. I would also love to order more of your books. But I found out that it cost 25 dollars in postage to send a tiny book to me. This is very expencive. I have ordered books from Amazon and paid a fifth of this postage expence. Is there anything to do about this? Thank you.

      • Nikki, InLight Connection
      • July 20, 2017
      Reply

      Great question. You can purchase the PDF version of the book so that you can have the digital copy rather than the physical if you do not want to deal with shipping, https://dougaddison.store/books/.

      Let me know if you have any further questions!

    • Elyce Mouskondis
    • July 20, 2017
    Reply

    Doug,
    Thank you for showing me the third love. It isn’t that I don’t like myself, but times when I have done something wrong and repent I spend too much time beating myself up. I need to let go of doing this and receive God’s love. As you have said many times, “you can’t give what you don’t have.”
    Thank you for this revelation.

      • Nikki, InLight Connection
      • July 20, 2017
      Reply

      Your not alone is doing that, Elyce. I have been there and I know many others have felt the same way. I have learned in those times of beating myself up, to just dwell and sit with God and say to Him, “I receive Your love.” He is so gracious and merciful. Thank you for being honest and sharing your heart. Bless you!

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