Love with a Lasting Love - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - February 8, 2026
Discover how shifting from reacting with your mind to connecting with your heart can transform your relationships, moving beyond mere tolerance to genuine understanding. Explore the profound concept of "gut love"—a supernatural affection poured into us by the Holy Spirit that can overcome even the most difficult circumstances.
“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart.”Philippians 1:7 (NIV)
I’ve discovered that if people are not on my heart, they’re likely on my nerves. If you don’t have your spouse, kids, friends, or coworkers on your heart, they can start to get on your nerves too.
The reason so many marriages struggle is that spouses often react to each other from their minds rather than their hearts. When your wife says, “I feel depressed,” listen to her; it’s legitimate. When your husband says, “I don’t feel this is the right thing to do; we ought to do it this other way,” listen to him.
Heart love begins with understanding why someone feels the way they do. Ask questions and then listen. Hear the hurt, look at the problems from their point of view, and work to know what makes your them tick. Try to understand the temperaments of the people in your life and why they act the way they do. If you care, you’ll be aware.
Sometimes it’s a struggle to love the people closest to you, even when you’re working hard to understand them. So how does one do it? “God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:8 NIV). In Greek, the word affection is the word for intestines. The Greeks thought that the seat of emotion was in your stomach, your liver, your internal organs.
Paul was saying, “My love for you comes from a gut feeling.” That is not a natural kind of love. It is supernatural. That’s why Paul said it’s not from himself, but it’s the affection of Christ Jesus.
Human love wears out. It dries up and dies on the vine. The only kind of love that lasts in spite of heartache and difficulty and tough circumstances is God’s love—the affection of Jesus.
So how do you get this kind of gut love? “God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us” (Romans 5:5 GNT). God’s love is not something you work to build up. It is something that is poured into you by the Holy Spirit as you let him live in you day by day.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Your Gift Brings Hope to the World
Share the Hope of Jesus with a World that Desperately Needs It
Thank you for your gift today to help share the hope of Jesus with people searching for healing, purpose, and truth.
As thanks, we’ll send you Awesome Relationships—Pastor Rick’s 4-session Bible study guide with video access, designed to strengthen your relationships and deepen your walk with God.
We’re grateful for your partnership to help more people experience the life-transforming love of Jesus!
*Video is available in DVD or streaming formats. The workbook will be mailed to you. *The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of “current offer” materials you received from Daily Hope.
