Loved Anyway: A Godly Perspective on Loving Others

August 10, 2026

At the heart of Axel’s character lies a powerful truth: no matter who you are, what you’ve done, or where you’ve been, you are still loved and matter to God’s kingdom.

Childhood friends Shawn and Axel were once inseparable, but their lives took very different paths, and choices—good and bad—created a painful distance. Yet, beneath the strain and disappointment, brotherly love remained. This ache of loving someone who’s hard to reach is something I know personally, and I imagine you might too. The message I want to talk about today is rooted in Matthew 25:40: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

We all come from different backgrounds. Some may have grown up in comfort, others in hardship. Some had loving families, others bear scars from neglect or pain. It’s human nature to compare and judge—ourselves and others. But in God’s Kingdom, none of those things determine your worth.

Consider a parent’s unconditional love for their child. Even when a child disappoints or strays, the love remains. God’s love for us is even greater. When we move past appearances and pray for God’s perspective, we can see people as He does—worthy of love, no matter how many times they fall. Jesus didn’t command us to love the people that are easy to love. He tells us to love the ones who are the hardest to love—the ones who stumble over and over again, who are selfish, dangerous, and sinful. Jesus never gives up on any of us, and we shouldn’t either.

Axel became a drug addict and ended up homeless. He didn’t set out to become lost; a thousand small choices and tough circumstances led him there—struggles most of us can’t imagine. The people we see as lost causes are never lost to God. You can find someone like Axel anywhere.

So here’s the challenge: Choose to love someone who’s hard to love. Offer kindness to the arrogant and proud, give a word of encouragement to someone who is rude, and extend a smile to someone who isn’t approachable. You never know what people are going through, and likely the most unapproachable people are the ones hurting the most. Whether or not they “deserve” it, love them anyway. That’s what Jesus does for us.