Bible Verses for February: Living Out Love and Mercy

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February is often seen as a month of love. What a great opportunity it is to focus on the love and mercy that God shows us, and that we should show to each other.

These Bible verses for February focus on the importance of love and mercy in the Christian life, as a reflection of God’s love for us and mercy on us.

We’ll also be including a free printable Bible reading plan for February, or any month you want to focus on reading and learning from Bible verses about love.

Bible Verses for February: Scriptures for Living a Life of Love

Valentine’s Day can be a reminder of romantic love. The world’s idea of the perfect love, especially in this area, is usually way off from the Bible’s teaching on love. 

That’s why it’s so important to learn what the Bible has to say above love, and what it means to live a life of love.

Take a look at these Bible verses about what love is really all about.

Biblical Foundations of Love

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One famous scripture passage about love, read in many weddings and preached in countless sermons, is in 1 Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.”

The Greek word for love here, “agape”, is sometimes translated as “charity”, especially in the King James Version (KJV). But it isn’t meant as narrowly as we think of charity today. We often only think of benevolence and charitable causes. 

Strong’s Dictionary defines agape as “affection, good will, love, benevolence, and brotherly love.”

This is the love we are to show to others, including a spouse but not limited to them. 

This love is not selfish in many ways, being patient, kind, and not envying. It isn’t a prideful or bragging love. It doesn’t seek its own way. It doesn’t keep track of other people’s wrongs.

This love is expressed properly. It doesn’t not behave inappropriately or rejoice in unrighteousness.

This love is optimistic. It rejoices in the truth. It bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.

This ideal of love may be hard to take in, especially if you have a lot of hurt in your life from other people. You may have shown this kind of love to others and been disappointed. 

Someone may have taken advantage of your charitable and loving nature. You can’t even think about loving someone like this again.

The great thing is that God doesn’t expect you to muster up love on your own. You have the Holy Spirit within you, full of God’s love, that you can use to love others. You also have Christ’s example of love to follow, loving as Christ loved us.

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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Christ calls us to love others as He has loved us. We may not live up to His example of perfect love, but we can strive for this kind of love in our lives.

It doesn’t mean that we should love everyone the way they want or demand to be loved. A selfish love says, “You only love me if you give me what I want.” Don’t we do this to God sometimes? He still loves us through it, but doesn’t give us what we demand.

We can love others with God’s unfailing love, without reservation or condition, but still not conform to other’s ideas of how to love them in ways that don’t honor God, that are unhealthy or harmful.

The Command to Love Others

It is easy to love some people. You have a lot in common, you are generally kind to one another, and your personalities don’t clash. These compatible people can be such a blessing in our lives.

But they aren’t the only people we are called to love. Jesus tells us that we are to love one another and our neighbor, which has a broader definition than we would sometimes like it to have.

John 15:12:  ““This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.”

In the last days of Jesus’ ministry before the cross, He was speaking plainly to the disciples about what they needed to do. He gave them the command to love each other. 

Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’Deuteronomy 6:5 This is the first and great commandment.  A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’Leviticus 19:18”

A Sadducee who was an expert in religious law had asked Jesus a question to trip him up, “What is the greatest commandment?”

Jesus instead used it as an opportunity to point to the principles that rule all our other actions: love God and love your neighbor.

In Luke 10:29-37, through the “Good Samaritan” parable, Jesus gave a very broad definition for who is our neighbor. We shouldn’t be looking for exceptions. 

While we aren’t responsible for everyone we encounter, we are responsible for following God’s leading on who we should be helping.

This can mean looking beyond our everyday circle and searching for opportunities to help others. Or it could mean being more responsive for ways to love others and show mercy.

Showing mercy is an important part of loving other people. Let’s take a look at what it means to live in mercy and grace.

Living in Mercy and Grace

If we are to follow Christ’s example, we also need to be living a life of mercy and grace. These are necessary when we, as imperfect people, are trying to love other imperfect people. We should strive to show mercy in our daily lives.

Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

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In the Beatitudes, Jesus preaches a sermon of the characteristics of a child of God. One of the qualities He mentions is mercy, saying that the merciful will be blessed and obtain mercy. 

How this will show up in the life of a merciful person will vary, and may not be how we expect. All who have a personal relationship with Christ have obtained mercy from God by the forgiveness of their sins.

Micah 6:8 ESV “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

This scripture from Micah reminds us of the simple requirements that the Lord has for us. He wants us to, as the King James Version puts it, “do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”

While these are simple instructions, they may not always be easy to follow. We must rely on the Lord’s strength to show others love and mercy.

We may struggle with showing mercy when it comes to forgiving others. Ephesians 4:31-32 shows us why we should forgive.

Ephesians 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”

The Apostle Paul writes to put away all these damaging things – bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, slander, and malice. Instead, we are to put on kindness, being tenderhearted and forgiving. The reason to forgive? Just as God in Christ forgave us.

Forgiveness can be so hard, but our reason to forgive is so important. We have been forgiven of a huge debt of sin by Christ. Let us also forgive others of their smaller debts to us. It may not always mean reconciliation, but it can mean peace.

Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

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God wants us to show the same grace that He shows to us. Theologian Matthew Henry put it this way.

“We must forgive, as we hope to be forgiven. Those who desire to find mercy with God, must show mercy to their brethren. Christ came into the world as the great Peace-maker, not only to reconcile us to God, but one to another.” – Matthew Henry

Making forgiveness a regular part of your life makes it easier to let go of grudges and to show love to others. Reflect on God’s grace as you offer forgiveness to others.

The Power of Love in Relationships

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We have the opportunity to put this love into action as we treat others with God’s love and mercy in our relationships.

1 John 3:18 “My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.”

You can profess love for others, but if you don’t show love to them, are you really loving them?

This might not mean that you love them the way they want to be loved. If they say, “You don’t love me because you don’t do this” or “If you loved me, you would give me this,” take a moment to evaluate if someone is trying to manipulate you in the name of love.

Instead, think about how God would want you to love other people. It might mean being patient with someone you find annoying. It could mean giving your time to volunteer with people outside of your comfort zone. It might mean forgiving someone yet again.

Colossians 3:12-14 “Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.”

This verse reminds us that we need to “put on” these qualities that help us demonstrate that we are God’s children. They may not come naturally, but as we get ready for each day, let us pray that we can live a life full of compassion, kindness, humility, and more! This will help us put our love in action.

Reflecting Christ’s Mercy

In today’s loud and busy world, it can be hard for others to see their need for Christ. Reflecting God’s mercy and love in your life is a great way to share our hope in Jesus with others.

Luke 6:36 ““Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.”

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Being merciful can be so hard. But as we do it by Christ’s strength, we give others a great gift that few are willing to give. We can let mercy define our relationships instead of judgment or grudges.

Romans 5:8 “But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

God demonstrated the greatest mercy of all: Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross. Even before we chose Him, He made this choice for us. 

Reflecting even a fraction of that mercy to others is life-changing. Our love and mercy is a great witness for Christ to others.

Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Showing love and mercy to others is letting our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify God.

When you show love and mercy to others who “don’t deserve it”, it is something that people usually notice.

Maybe someone hurt you deeply or disrupted your life. On your own, you couldn’t love them or show mercy. But as you put on a heart of love and compassion, showing mercy as God shows you mercy, you can put that love into action and show mercy where it is difficult or painful.

In doing so, your light shines, as you reflect the love and mercy that God shows to His children.

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31-Day Bible Reading Plan on Love and Mercy

For the month of February, we are including this free printable monthly Bible reading plan about love and mercy. It offers one verse each day (plus a few bonus verses) to help you focus on Christ’s love and mercy that you receive and reflect to others.

This is a great way to start working on a daily Bible study habit, to experiment with scripture writing, or to have a Bible verse of the day. It can also be helpful for Bible journaling prompts, prayer journal Bibles, and family devotions.

If it isn’t the month of February, don’t worry! We also have included it as a free printable 31-day Bible reading plan about love and mercy, with no reference to dates included.

Download the 31-Day Bible Reading Plan on Love and Mercy here at our Gumroad store. There is no cost; feel free to enter $0 when it asks you what price you want to pay.

Bible Reading Plan for February Living out love and mercy hope filled faith preview

Bible Study and Reflection Questions on Love and Mercy

The download also includes some Bible study and reflection questions to help you study what the Bible has to say about love and mercy. They include:

  1. What are some important characteristics of love? (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
  2. Why should we love others? (1 John 4:7-8)
  3. How did God show us mercy before we deserved it? (Romans 5:8)
  4. Write a prayer or prayer requests about showing love and mercy in your life.

As we prepare to incorporate God’s love and mercy into our lives, let’s spend some time in prayer. Use this prayer as inspiration for your own prayer.

Dear God,

Thank You for Your great love and mercy in our lives. You have forgiven us of so much, giving us mercy and compassion that we do not deserve.

Help us to reflect that in our lives today. We want to be a light for You in the world. Show us where we need to be more loving and merciful in our lives.

May we glorify You in our lives today!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Thank you for reading Bible Verses for February about Love and Compassion! You may also want to read Prayers for February and Bible Verses about Father’s Love.

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