November 10: Love Began With God

1 John 4:7-10

John does not begin by commanding us to love. He begins with the source of love: “God is love.” Love is not something humanity invented or God occasionally displays. Holy, self-giving love belongs to His very character.

We often treat love as a response to attractiveness, usefulness, or good behavior. God’s love is radically different. He loved us not because we were worthy, but while we were guilty and spiritually dead.

This love became visible when the Father sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. At the cross, Jesus bore the righteous judgment our rebellion deserved. God did not demonstrate love by pretending sin did not matter. He demonstrated love by dealing with sin completely at infinite cost to Himself.

Christian love therefore begins not with trying harder to be loving, but with receiving God’s love in Christ. We can love undeserving people because we know ourselves to be undeserving people who have been loved first.

ONE TRUTH TO BEHOLD
God makes His invisible love visible through the grace-filled relationships of His people

ONE TRUTH TO BECOME
Become a person whose patience, forgiveness, and practical care give others a glimpse of God’s character.

ONE QUESTION TO MEDITATE ON
What would it look like for God’s love to become visible through one difficult relationship in my life?

CLOSING PRAYER
Father, thank You for loving me when I was difficult to love. Perfect Your love within me, and make my relationships a visible testimony to Your grace. Amen.