Have you ever smiled at someone while a little voice inside said, “You don’t mean this, do you?”
Perhaps it was someone at work. A neighbour. Someone at church. Maybe even someone in your own family.
You were polite. You said the right things. But it was tiring.
Romans 12:9 says, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.”
That can sound like another impossible demand. If I already struggle to like someone, how am I supposed to produce loving feelings as well?
But Paul is not asking us to manufacture an emotion.
The word behind his instruction carries the idea of being without a mask. In the ancient theatre, actors used masks to play their parts. Paul’s invitation is simple: let your love be real.
That real love may be very small today.
It could mean making someone a cup of tea. Sending a thoughtful message. Listening without preparing your reply. Refusing to join in when others criticise them. Or simply praying for them by name without adding a list of complaints.
None of those actions will look impressive.
That may be precisely the point.
Some of our most Christlike moments happen when nobody is watching. There is no applause. No social media post. Nobody even knows what it cost us.
There is simply another person in front of us who matters to God.
So think of one person you find difficult today.
Don’t try to change how you feel about them. Don’t make a grand promise to become a more loving person.
Just ask:
What is one small, genuine act of love I can offer them today?
Then quietly do it.
Real love does not need an audience. It just needs to be real.
▶️ Watch today’s 5-Min Daily Devotional: