Text- 1 John 4:8 – “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love”
George, a young man goes home to his parents, and tells them about Linda, the beautiful girl he met sometimes ago. He tells his parents that he has been friends with Linda for a while and he intends to marry her.
As he spoke, his parents could glean that he his head over heels in love with her. The first thing his parents want to ask George is “Why do you really love Linda?”
You see, talking from man’s perspective, love must be based on something. In other words, man sees love as conditional. However, when we look from God’s perspective, we begin to realize that true love is, in its very nature, unconditional.
Human love may be based on feelings and affections; men may love you because you are loveable, but God’s love has no conditions attached to it at all. God loves you because He is love. Realizing this truth will change your life forever.
God created mankind to have and to enjoy a loving relationship with Him, but man messed it all up with sin. But God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son (who willingly paid the price of our sins) in order to restore that loving relationship. God demonstrates his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
You see how unconditional God’s love is? God didn’t require us to clean up our mess before demonstrating His love for us. He didn’t request a promise that we will love him back before demonstrating His love for us.
Because He is love personified, He demonstrated his love for us when we were still sinners – totally unlovable! He showed us how much he loves us long before we could even realize that we needed His love.
Beloved, I think it is not fit that we should be ‘love sinks’, and let all this love go down the drain. I think the measure of love that God has bestowed on us compels us to reciprocate and reflect the love.
Reciprocating the love means we should love God in return. Reflecting the love means we should spread the love (unconditional love) to everyone around us.
Matthew 22:36-40 explains it all, where Jesus was asked a question:
Sir, which is the most important command in the law?”
Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.’
All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets stem from these two laws and are fulfilled if you obey them. Keep only these and you will find that you are obeying all the others.”
As you go out today, remember that God is love, and because God is love, whoever does not love does not know God. When we apply this truth to Daniel 11:32, it becomes clear that the people that do know their God (that is, those who reciprocate and reflect the love of God) shall be strong, and do exploits.
Go forth today. Reciprocate God’s love. Reflect God’s love. Be strong. Do exploits!
PRAYERS
Dear God, help me to understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep your love is, and to effectively reciprocate and your love in Jesus Name.
Image Credit: godsongs.net