Built for ImpactНамуна

Love Is the Hardest Thing You’ll Ever Lead With

We all want to make an impact. But Peter makes it clear — without love, all the grit, wisdom, self-control, and perseverance in the world won’t amount to much.

Not just any love. Not surface-level affirmation. Not sentimentality.

The kind of love he ends with is agape — selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. It’s the love that stays. That gives. That keeps showing up when it’s inconvenient, unreturned, or unseen.

If you want to be the kind of man God can use — in the workplace, at home, in your city — agape love isn’t optional. It’s the fuel that makes all the other virtues matter.

Agape Isn’t Weak — It’s Weaponized Grace

Agape love is the same kind of love God shows us — love that sacrifices, forgives, and serves.

When you love like Jesus, your life becomes a weapon against despair, division, and apathy. You become a man people can trust — not because you’re impressive, but because your love has weight.

At Work: Love That Shows Up When It’s Not Required

Agape love shows up in the workplace when:

• You choose grace over gossip.
• You mentor the younger guy with no strings attached.
• You use your platform to protect people — not just promote yourself.
• You give away opportunities because someone else needs them more.

It’s not soft. It’s sacrificial leadership. And it’s rare.

Agape love looks like taking the hit to protect someone else’s future. It’s staying late to help when no one notices. It’s choosing to speak life when tearing down would be easier.

Millard Fuller — The Millionaire Who Stepped into the Gap

Millard Fuller made his first million by age 29. Smart. Driven. Successful by every metric. But his marriage was unraveling, and deep down, so was his soul.

So, he walked away from it all.

He and his wife gave away their wealth and asked a simple question:
“What would it look like to use our business experience to love people — not profit from them?”

That question birthed Habitat for Humanity.

Fuller didn’t just write checks. He showed up. He worked alongside the families. He built homes, but more importantly — he built dignity. And he did it without expecting anything in return.

He said, “For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other.”

That’s agape. And that’s what it looks like when a businessman chooses love over legacy — and still leaves one.

You Can’t Love Deeply Without Living Close

Agape love doesn’t grow in isolation. You learn it in community— when your patience is tested, your time is stretched, and your comfort zones are shattered.

Brotherhood is where love becomes more than a concept — it becomes a practice.

You don’t become a man of impact by working harder. You become one by loving deeper — through conflict, disappointment, sacrifice, and service.

Agape love is the mark of a transformed man. It’s not what makes you impressive — it’s what makes you impactful. When you lead with love, people feel the presence of Christ — not because you said His name, but because you lived His heart.

Challenge Questions:

• Who has God placed in your path that you’ve overlooked because they can’t give you anything in return?
• Where are you holding back love because it’s costly or inconvenient?
• What would agape love look like in your leadership this week?

Prayer:

“Jesus, teach me to love like You — not just when it’s easy or admired, but when it’s hard and hidden. Give me eyes to see who needs Your love today, and the courage to act, not just feel. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Today’s “Rep”:

Find someone in your workplace, family, or community who can’t repay you. Do something sacrificial and intentional for their good. Don’t broadcast it. Just obey — and let God multiply the impact.

Did you like this study? Click here for the full version . For tools, training or support on your discipleship journey, or to engage with a local community of other disciple-makers, visit cbmc.com