YOU OWE THEM LOVE

On Monday, Jesus commanded us to love. Tuesday, we examined the condition of our hearts. Wednesday, the Good Samaritan showed us that love crosses the road. Today, Paul tells us something extraordinary: love is a debt we never finish paying.

Romans 13:8 says, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

We often think about debts in dollars. We pay a bill, receive a receipt, and mark the account settled. But love is different. There is no final receipt that says, “I have loved enough. I am finished.”

Paul is not telling us that every person is entitled to our money, private information, emotional energy, or unlimited access. He is teaching that love remains our continuing obligation to others.

That distinction matters. Love is not the same thing as agreement. I can disagree without being cruel. Love is not the same thing as trust. Trust can require time, truth, repentance, and consistent conduct. Love is not the same thing as access. Wise boundaries can protect people without making hatred acceptable.

And love is not merely saying nice things. Sometimes it tells the truth with gentleness. Sometimes it serves. Sometimes it prays. Sometimes it refuses to retaliate. Sometimes it gives someone space without wishing them harm.

We must also resist the temptation to decide who has earned our love. The commandment is not based on whether someone deserves it. It flows from the God who first loved us.

So when someone disappoints you, when someone has a different background, when a relationship changes, or when your feelings are exhausted, ask a different question: “Lord, what does obedience to Your command to love look like here?”

It may look like reconciliation. It may look like forgiveness alongside firm boundaries. It may look like practical help. But it should never look like delighting in another person's suffering.

Have you ever borrowed a pencil or a toy? When you give it back, you don't owe it anymore!

But the Bible teaches us about something we should keep giving: LOVE!

Jesus wants us to show love at home, at school, at church, and in our neighborhood. Love can look like helping someone, speaking kindly, sharing, or including a person who feels left out.

What if someone is mean to you? You do not have to let them hurt you. You can ask a trusted adult for help and still choose not to be mean back.

God can help you be loving even when your feelings are upset.

“I don't owe them anything.” You've probably heard it. Maybe you've said it.

And sometimes you really don't owe somebody another explanation, another chance to disrespect you, or access to your life.

But Romans 13:8 challenges us: we still owe one another love.

You don't have to follow someone who bullies you. You don't have to stay in a toxic group chat. You don't have to pretend that betrayal was okay. You can block harmful behavior, seek help, and tell the truth.

But don't let someone else's actions turn you into a person who humiliates, threatens, or celebrates their pain.

Love might look like refusing to spread a screenshot. It might look like defending a classmate everyone is mocking. It might mean apologizing when you were wrong, even if someone else was wrong too.

God's love is more than an online caption or a Sunday feeling. It changes what you do when no one is applauding.