Love

Love.

The entire gospel story is founded on the love of God. We see God’s love sending His Son as a sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16) that we might be saved from the wrath of God and receive reconciliation and peace with God (Romans 5:8-11). As we recall the narrative of the gospel, we gain a deeper appreciation of His love for us. As we walk in His Spirit we develop a deeper dependence on His love.

“We love because He first loved us.” Love originates with God. God is love (1 John…) His love stirs within us a love for Him and a desire to love others as He has loved us.

Too often we reverse this cycle. Our human tendency is not unconditional love, but conditional love. If I serve someone else then they will love me. If I give something to someone else then they will love me. If I am a certain type of person or have a certain attitude then they will love me. We modify our performance to be loved by others, and so we begin to think we must earn the love of God, and therefore maintain the love of God by our performance.

But, we love God because He first loved us. Romans 5:8 says “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us.” His love was extended long before we had the chance to earn it and it was secured long before we could maintain it.

Understanding that the love of God is based on character of God and the “performance” of God’s Son and not our own goodness or our performance produces a love for God in us that gives gratitude and praise to Him instead trying to get His approval.

When we begin to rest in a God-type love and not a human-type love, we are able to love others in a way that resembles God’s love.

We love [others] because He loved us. Loving people when they don’t deserve it and when they don’t return it is possible because God loved you and me when we didn’t deserve it and when we couldn’t possibly return the love He had for us. It is possible when the motivation to love is based on the faithfulness of God’s love for me and not on their performance.

Loving others as Christ has loved me is a celebration and declaration of God’s love empowered by the very presence of Love in our life, the Holy Spirit.Questions for further reflection:

What are some “human” tendencies I have ascribed to God’s love that are not true to His character?

In what ways have I attempted to earn or maintain the love of God?

Does gratitude or indebtedness describe my response to God’s love? How?

Which verses can I remember when choosing to love others as Christ has loved me?

Father God, the steadfastness of your love amazes me. I praise you for your unconditional love shown to me on the cross and daily demonstrated as your Holy Spirit empowers me and changes me. Teach my heart to choose gratitude over selfishness and doubt. Teach me to love others as you have loved me. May my life demonstrate the gospel as I love based on your goodness and not the goodness of others.