“Love never fails … ”
1 CORINTHIANS 13:8 NIV

Dear Friend,

I will never forget sitting with my wife, Theresa, in a counselor’s office, exhausted and discouraged. We loved the Lord, we loved each other, but our marriage was painfully stuck. I was secretly convinced that, if she would change in a few key areas, things would get better. The counselor listened carefully and then gently turned the spotlight in a different direction.

Over time, through Scripture and honest conversations, I realized something I had completely missed: I couldn’t give what I didn’t have, and I couldn’t change my spouse. But I could begin to give her agape love—the kind of love God had already given me.

That choice didn’t come with fireworks or instant feelings. It started very simply and quietly. I began to ask, “What does she need most right now, even if I don’t feel like giving it—and even if I don’t think she ‘deserves’ it today?”

Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, our relationship began to shift. We both chose, regardless of how we felt and regardless of the hurt we had caused each other, to love the way God had loved us. The foundation of sacrificial, other-centered love (agape), combined with loyal family love and renewed friendship, began to rekindle romance in a way we never could have produced by trying harder or demanding our own way.

That journey convinced us that love is not something we passively wait to “fall into.” Love is something we actually can CHOOSE. In a culture that often reduces love to a feeling or a fleeting romantic high, Scripture calls us to a deeper, stronger, more durable reality: agape love, which involves giving another person what they need the most, when they deserve it the least, at great personal cost to us.

Here, then, is the hope that sustains our marriages, families, friendships, churches, and workplaces. This love is not reserved for a few “spiritual giants.” It is available, right now, to every follower of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.

I can personally attest that your faithful generosity is helping countless people discover and begin to practice this kind of love. We read of it, hear of it, and see the fruit of your gifts in countless stories of redemption.

Through Bible teaching, resources, and conversations grounded in Philippians 2, men and women are learning that love gives, serves, obeys, and cares—even when we don’t feel like it. They are discovering that when we choose love instead of waiting to feel love, God goes to work in us, for us, and through us in ways no amount of self-protection or self-promotion could ever accomplish.

Because of your partnership, people are being equipped to:

• Trade a me-first mindset for humble, others-first love in their homes and churches, learning to declare war on selfishness and embrace the joy that comes from putting others ahead of themselves
• Stand firm in a culture that treats love as a feeling, by choosing biblical love that is patient, kind, truthful, and enduring, even when emotions run dry
• Restore broken relationships—whether marriages drifting toward isolation, friendships strained by politics, or families divided by hurt—by taking the first step instead of waiting for someone else to change

One of the great mysteries of the Christian life is that love grows not by getting what we want, but by choosing to give. Jesus modeled this perfectly, and then promised that His joy would be in us as we walk in His way. Your generosity is a living picture of that truth. You are not simply “supporting a ministry”; you are actively choosing love, in a way that brings joy to the Father, help to His people, and light to a watching world.

As you continue to invest so faithfully, here are some simple, practical ways to practice this “I choose love” lifestyle in your own relationships:

• Start each day with a short prayer: “Lord, today I choose love. Show me one person to serve, encourage, or listen to—and give me the courage to act.”
• In a tense or painful relationship, take one small step of humility: Apologize first, listen without defending, or release the need to have the last word.
• Build a habit of caring in concrete ways: Write a note of encouragement, show up early to help instead of arriving just on time, or quietly meet a practical need for someone who can’t repay you.
• Periodically “pause and evaluate” your schedule and commitments, asking, “Does this way of living leave room to love well, or am I too busy to care?”

None of these steps are dramatic, but each one is a powerful, Spirit-empowered choice to say, “I will not wait to be loved—I will choose to love.” That is the very heart of the message we are sharing together, and your faithful giving is taking it farther than you may ever see this side of heaven.

Thank you for standing with us, for believing that love really is the most powerful force in the world, and for living that belief with open hands and an open heart. May the Lord meet you in fresh ways as you continue to CHOOSE LOVE—in your marriage, your family, your friendships, your church, and your everyday world.

With deep gratitude and hope,

Chip Ingram
CEO and Teaching Pastor, Living on the Edge

P.S. This month, our Coffee Break friends can purchase a copy of my new book, I Choose Love, and get a second copy at half price by using the promo code COFFEE. Share the book with a friend or family member, and invite them to take the journey of choosing love with you. Imagine the impact in the world if twice as many people choose love!

REDEEM OFFER