Love Starts with God

God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son
into the world that we might live through him.

1 John 4:8-9, NIV

Love starts with God, not with us. He's it. First John says God is love. There is no love outside of God-it originated with Him. He doesn't just have love to give-He is love. So when you get Him, you get love. And "this is love: Not that we loved God, but that he loved us" (1 John 4:10). He loved us first, before we ever knew love. He pours out His love to us and then we come alive. The more love we get from Him, the more love we have to give.

Love is the key to life. And it all starts with God loving us. We get filled with God Himself so that we can give others what He's given to us. If we don't have it, we can't give it. It's like a lamp-you have to plug it into the power source to get light. If it's not plugged in, no matter how hard it tries, it will not shine. Too many people are trying too hard to live the Christian life without being plugged into the power Source. You can only try so hard in your own efforts before you fail miserably and give up. Our own love doesn't last very long. But when we get plugged into the Source of love Himself, then it's His power that changes us and loves through us, and keeps on shining through the darkest dark!

Close your eyes for a minute and think about this: Have you been trying really hard lately, but still failing? Maybe you're not plugged into God's love yet. First John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!" (NIV, emphasis added). And that is what we are!!

God has abundantly, generously, liberally and extravagantly rained down His love on you, His child, and called you His own. No matter who has rejected or neglected you, He has not. He receives you to Himself. Now open up your heart, and let that love pour deep into every crook and cranny, every memory, every hurt and every failure. Then watch God transform you into what you always wanted to be.

Take some time now to journal about a time when you felt rejected or neglected. How does knowing that God loves you-no matter what you have done-make a difference in these situations?

This article was adapted from Ron Luce's book Connecting With God.