“We love him, because he first loved us.”
I John 4:19 (KJV)
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
John introduces a seemingly paradox. It is God’s love for us that produces our love for Him. You would think that we would love God for who He is. Certainly He is worthy! But it is not God’s worthiness that is under consideration here, it is our inability to love. It is impossible for us to truly love God without accepting His awesome love for us. You see knowing that He loves us is not enough. It is when we make it personal that we are able to love God. It is when we let down our pretenses, when we stop our striving to earn His love, when we come to Him just as we are and trust Him at His word, that we can experience His unconditional love. David Benner writes, “It is not the fact of being loved unconditionally that is life-changing. It is the risky experience of allowing myself to be loved unconditionally.” At that moment, when we permit ourselves to be loved by God, without any help of our own, our eyes are opened, our hearts set free and our Spirit says, “Amen.” It is then that we are able to say with John, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” Today, allow yourself to experience God’s love for you with all His tenderness and compassion. Then love Him back in return.