In a sense, God says, “I am loving. I am compassionate. I want you to be like me. I want you to develop my character.” You’re never going to be God. You’re never even going to be a teeny-tiny God. But God says he wants you to become godly. He wants you to develop his character. Like father, like son; like father, like daughter. He wants you to learn to love people the way he loves people. God is love.

Every time you do that, it shows God’s glory.

Of course, one of the ways you love others is just by accepting them. Just because you don’t like what people do doesn’t mean you can’t accept them.

It’s important to remember the difference between acceptance and approval. You can accept people without approving of everything they do. There is a big difference! We are to accept everybody; we are not to approve of everything everybody does. So no matter what people do or whom they do it with or how they do it or how long they do it, you are to love them. You are to accept them. It does not mean that you approve of what they do. God loves you, but it doesn’t mean he approves of everything you do.

Love is not saying I approve of everything you do. Love is saying I accept you in spite of what you do.

Romans 15:7 says, “Accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” (NLT).