We love because God first loved us. — 1 John 4:19.
What is love? A five-year-old might say love is getting a big hug from Grandma. A teenager might say it is having a friend who stays beside you when everyone else walks away. A parent may think of caring for a child through good days and difficult ones. And someone who has lived many years might say love is simply being there—faithfully, patiently, day after day.
First John 4 tells us something even bigger: Love begins with God. God doesn’t love us because we are perfect. He doesn’t love us because we always say the right thing, make the right choices, or remember to pray every day. God loves us because God is love.
That can be difficult to understand because human love sometimes comes with conditions. We may think, I’ll be nice to you if you’re nice to me. Or I’ll forgive you if you apologize first. God shows us another way. God loved us first.
First John tells us that God showed His love by sending His Son, Jesus, into the world. Jesus didn’t simply talk about love; He lived it. Jesus welcomed people others ignored. He touched people others avoided. He forgave people who had done wrong. He fed the hungry, comforted the hurting, and spent time with people who were lonely. And ultimately, Jesus gave His life for us. That’s the kind of love God asks us to share.
Most of us will never be asked to do something dramatic or heroic. Instead, we are given little opportunities to love every day. Love might look like sitting beside the child who is alone. It might mean calling someone who hasn’t been at church lately. Love can be taking a meal to someone who is sick, forgiving someone who hurt you, listening when someone needs to talk, or simply saying, “I’m glad you’re here.” There are still ways to share God’s love.
There is another beautiful message in 1 John 4:18: “Perfect love drives out fear.”
We all get afraid. Children are afraid of thunderstorms or the dark. Teenagers worry about fitting in and what the future holds. Adults worry about families, jobs, bills, and responsibilities. As we grow older, our fears may change to concerns about health, losing people we love, or facing an uncertain tomorrow. John doesn’t tell us that Christians will never feel afraid. Instead, he reminds us that fear doesn’t get the last word. Love does. When we remember that God loves us and walks beside us, we don’t have to face our fears alone.
Here is the challenging part. People cannot see God with their eyes—but they can see God’s love through us. They see it when we are patient instead of angry. They see it when we forgive. They see it when we welcome someone who feels left out. They see it when we help without expecting anything in return. They see it when we choose kindness even when kindness isn’t easy.
Our church should be a place where people of every age can walk through the door and discover something wonderful: “These people really care about one another.” Not because we always agree. Not because we’re perfect. But because we belong to the God who is love.
Think of one person who could use some extra love. Maybe it’s someone at school. A neighbor. A family member. Someone sitting alone at church. Someone in a nursing home. Someone grieving. Or perhaps it’s someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time. Then do one simple thing. Call them. Visit them. Send a card. Give them a hug. Invite them to sit with you. Pray for them. Listen to them. You don’t need fancy words. Sometimes God’s love sounds like:
- “I was thinking about you.
- How are you doing?
- Can I help?
- Would you like to sit with me?
- I’m praying for you.
- You are loved.”
We have something important to give. We can love. And every time we do, we are passing along something that didn’t begin with us. “We love because God first loved us.” That is the heart of 1 John 4. And that is the kind of love that can change a family, a church, a community—and the world.
In His Service,
Mary Sue Houston
Administrator