Love One Another - 1 John 4:7

The apostle John, in writing this letter, describes how God loves and encourages us to follow that example.  How does God love?  The word in this verse is agape - a benevolent, unselfish love.  Oswald Chambers says "if human love does not carry a man beyond himself, it is not love...the springs of love are in God, not in us."  Love is about giving, not about getting.  God doesn't love like the world loves (1John 2:13-15) with cravings and lusts.  That isn't love.  Those are self-serving desires.  My goodness, His love is "lavished upon us" (1 John 3:1) - not a stingy, measured kind of affection.  He doesn't love to control;  He loves because that's His nature.

When our boys were little - and sometimes now - we would say "I love you 60 million" (which we learned from Don's mother), but that doesn't even begin to describe the kind of love our Father has for us.  He evidenced that love in sacrificing His Son that we might have abundant life.  Vines says "love can be known only from the actions it prompts".  What kinds of actions are we showing with our love?

Here are some suggestions from The Message in 1 Corinthians 13:

"Love never gives up

Love cares more for others than for self.

                                                  Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first",

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel

Takes pleasure in the flowering of the truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back

but keeps going to the end."

I want others (especially my family) to know that I'm His by the love I offer.  How about you?

For further study:  Exodus 34:6-7, Lev. 19:18, Psalm 32:10, Jer. 31:3, Matt. 5:44, Luke 7:47, John 13:35, Romans 5:8, Romans 12:9-13, Ephesians 4:2, Col. 3:14, 1 John 4:7-21.

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

Love,

Holly