By: Elizabeth Louis
“Love is not about liking people; it’s about reflecting Christ to them.”
— Elizabeth Louis
Love Like Jesus This Christmas
Christmas can be beautiful—and brutal.
It’s the season of joy, giving, and peace on earth… until you walk into the living room and feel that old familiar tension rise.
Maybe it’s the relative who dismisses your faith. The parent who still criticizes. The sibling who never apologizes.
Here’s the truth: family can sanctify you faster than almost anything else.
But it’s also the perfect opportunity to practice love like Jesus did—a love that isn’t reactive, easily offended, or rooted in feelings, but anchored in truth and grace.
“A new command I give you: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other (John 13:34, NLT).”
Jesus Modeled Unshakable Love
Jesus loved people He didn’t like.
He ate with those who betrayed Him.
He washed the feet of the man who would hand Him over to death.
And yet—He never lost Himself in the process.
He didn’t enable sin. He didn’t ignore boundaries. But He chose love over retaliation every time.
Psychologically speaking, love like this requires a regulated nervous system—one that’s trained to respond, not react. When you pause, breathe, and pray before speaking, you activate your prefrontal cortex (your “sound mind”) instead of your amygdala (your emotional alarm).
This is how Jesus lived—never emotionally hijacked, always Spirit-led.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think (Romans 12:2, NLT).”
Let the Irritating People Sharpen You
Every family has that one person who pushes buttons. But what if they’re not your problem—they’re your practice?
What if God is using them to refine your patience, empathy, and capacity for unconditional love?
Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), and sometimes, it’s not the pleasant people who make you more like Jesus—it’s the prickly ones.
When you approach difficult relationships as opportunities for growth, your brain rewires. Neuropsychology calls this cognitive reappraisal—the ability to reframe an emotional trigger into an invitation to mature.
Spiritually, this is renewing your mind (Romans 12:2).
How to Love Like Christ This Christmas
- Stop trying to convince—start listening.
When you stop pushing your perspective and instead seek to understand, your brain moves out of defensiveness and into connection. This opens space for the Holy Spirit to work.
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry (James 1:19, NLT).” - Hold firm boundaries without guilt.
Jesus loved everyone—but He didn’t give everyone full access. Love does not mean unlimited availability. Healthy boundaries protect peace and prevent bitterness. - Pray before you enter the room.
Ask, “Holy Spirit, fill me with patience, gentleness, and grace.” When you enter a space already surrendered to God, you’re less likely to be controlled by emotion. - Don’t mirror dysfunction—model Christ.
When others gossip, stay silent. When they provoke, stay calm. When they insult, stay gracious.
Remember: your response is your witness.
“Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing (1 Peter 3:9, NLT).” - Take breaks when needed.
Jesus withdrew often to pray (Luke 5:16). Step outside, breathe, and reconnect with God before you re-engage. You can’t pour love from an empty cup.
Personally, I know how easily I can become overstimulated. Over time, I’ve learned to recognize my body’s and soul’s cues that signal it’s time to pause. In those moments, I’ll step outside, take a short walk to the restroom, or—if I’m at my mom’s house—slip upstairs to her room for a few quiet minutes.
You have to know your limits and honor them. Creating space to reset isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. It allows you to return centered, calm, and filled with God’s peace instead of your own exhaustion.
Reflection
Who in your family pushes your buttons most?
What if this Christmas, instead of dreading them, you saw them as an invitation—to rise higher, love deeper, and respond more like Christ?
Jesus doesn’t ask you to feel love. He asks you to be love.
And that kind of love—self-controlled, compassionate, and Spirit-led—is what changes atmospheres and hearts.
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14, NLT).”
If family interactions this Christmas surface old pain or emotional triggers, it may be more than conflict — it may be unhealed trauma surfacing for redemption.
Healing Trauma The Jesus Way helps you understand how wounds shape your mind, body, and spirit — and how Jesus restores all three.
In this course, you’ll learn how to:
- Recognize how trauma distorts your view of God, yourself, and others
- Rebuild safety and secure attachment through your identity in Christ
- Calm your nervous system while renewing your mind with biblical truth
- Rewire your thoughts and reactions through Spirit-led emotional and mental healing
- Walk in freedom as you integrate God’s truth into every part of your being — spirit, soul, and body
🕊️ Prayefully consider enrolling today and begin restoring peace, safety, and wholeness through the only true Healer — Jesus Christ.
