SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:7-21
OBSERVATION:
John is very clear that the primary distinctive that sets Christ-followers apart from others is their radical, self-denying love. Faith in Jesus + indwelling Spirit = radical love for God and others. No love, no faith in Jesus. Is this how the church has defined love? Have we found alternatives to set our hearts at peace? Church attendance, baptism, faith commitment, being nice, not being immoral, etc. God’s love is incomplete as long as it remains a concept; it is made complete through us, as we share it with others. We have redefined love to ‘tolerate’ or ‘not be mean to’ or ‘occasional kindness, when necessary’.
APPLICATION:
Do I love my neighbours in my neighbourhood? Like God and Jesus loved me? My love for others is not radical. Why? One reason is because it is hard, it means giving up my own comfort, my own priorities, my own time. Right now I sense the spirit within me prompting me not to excuse my shallow love, but to face it, to confess it, and to decide whether I want to start living it?
PRAYER:
Lord, my love is not the radical kind that would make anyone notice, nor lead them to think that I am Your follower. Forgive me, and help me. Amen.
The word “love” is repeated 27 times in this short passage.
The phrases of “through Him”, “lives in us”, “complete in us”, “in Him”, “He in us” are repeated 9 times in this passage.
God is love. We can find that love “in Him”.
Why do we look anywhere else?
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added onto you” Matthew 6:33
Love is a choice; an action – a response to God by God’s power of the Holy Spirit. Without God I cannot love as God is the one true source of love! Every choice I make reflects how God is at work in my life- selfishly or selflessly and also reveals how much I embrace or receive His unmeasurable, unfailing love…. I confess that all of my life I have battled with being a people pleaser, addicted to the ‘approval of others’, greatly fearing rejection or disappointing others and not living up to their expectations (ones that I have placed on myself in my own mind). This has become such a stronghold for me as of late. I look in the mirror and I see such a failure. Lord, from this moment forward I want to look in the mirror and see whom You created me to be – a child of God! Please LORD, help me to experience fully Your perfect love so that it may flow freely in and through me and spill out to all around me; reflecting You! Help me to know Your love as You desire me to so that I may be free to love others and myself as Your word teaches that You may be glorified!
The gospel in one word is love. The source of the love that comes from God and He examplifies that love through His Son and He enables us by the gift of His Spirit. Help me Lord this day to live for You in all I do and say. Thank You for Your gift to me to enable me on my way. May I befriend those around on this day You have made.
Make me a channel of your peace
where there is hatred let me bring your love:
Where there is injury, your pardon Lord;
and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
Chorus: O Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love wih all my soul.