Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is marketed as a day to celebrate romantic love, but it’s also an excellent opportunity to consider love for our coworkers, families, and communities. We wanted to look back at some of the great articles our blog contributors have written about love. 

We hope these quotes encourage, inspire, and remind you of the life-changing power of love in every aspect of life, including your work.

Loving Our Co-Workers

Joshua Nangle, What Biblical Love Looks Like at Work

We know that some colleagues are easier to love than others, but this is non-negotiable. When a colleague is promoted, we rejoice with them. When they are hurting, we mourn with them. Loving our colleagues well will provide open doors for the Gospel, but to love them well, we must get our focus off ourselves. Furthermore, the success of our colleagues is not something for which to be envious. Rather, their success can be our success. As we work together and mutually serve each other, the level of productivity in the organization will rise because each colleague will be seeking the benefit of others.

Taylor Barkley, Can’t Stand a Coworker? Here’s How to Love Them

Like family members, many of us do not get to choose the people with whom we work. Some of the people you struggle with may end up in the cubicle next to you. This is an opportunity to live out Lewis’s challenge to act charitably until the love shows up. Sometimes it seems easier to love the poor and destitute in a far-off place more than the irritating coworker sitting next to you. Yet there are things you can do “until the love shows up.”

Loving Those We Serve

Russell Gehrlein, Sacrificial Love Gives Us Endurance at Work

Love implies sacrifice. Love is defined as sacrificially meeting someone’s legitimate needs. We often have to give up something of ourselves: time, talent, or treasure. … There are countless examples of those whose work is incredibly difficult, and yet they continue doing it day after day because they love those whom they have been called to serve. 

John Kyle, Four Ways to Show Christ’s Love in the Workplace

Paul’s description of love is not only a list of ways that we should love, but a description of the way that Jesus actually loves. It is empowering, encouraging, and liberating to reflect on the depth of Jesus’ love for us. Jesus poured out his love for us so that we might live in him and show his love to others—even at work. God cares about the work we do and the way we do it.

Loving Those We Lead

Phyllis Hendry Halverson, Jesus & Love: The Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Time

Try to imagine leaders who lead like Jesus. Leaders who love those they influence so much that they help them get from where they are to where God would have them go. Leaders who hold people accountable, encourage them daily, confront challenges, and bring authenticity, character and integrity to every interaction. Leaders who want to guide others on the same path. Now imagine a world full of those leaders. There is no need to search further. We have the perfect leadership role model in Jesus. We simply need to follow him and allow him to work in us and through us.

Loving Those We Care For

Laura McGee, Trusting God in the Decision to be a Caregiver for a Loved One

Being a full-time caregiver was the hardest and most rewarding job I have ever had. It was exhausting, both spiritually and physically, but the time spent with my mom was priceless. … God was there in the midst of it all. His grace and love literally sustained me. He gave me a great church, wonderful, supportive friends and a deeper, richer relationship with my mom and sister. I know God and Jesus in a fuller, more intimate way because of those years spent caring for my mom. I treasure those years I spent caring for her.

Loving the One Who First Loved Us

Greg Ayers, Love for God Starts by Considering God’s Character

In seeing that God is the one, true, covenantal God, we should be drawn in to learn more about him. After all, this is the God who loved us first (I Jn. 4:19). He is the God who sacrificed greatly in order to have us with him. Who is this God?