If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12
Expressing love at all times is not easy. In fact, humanly speaking, it’s nigh on impossible, and there will be a lot of situations in which we have a hard time extending love. For this reason, the Godly love that we show to others is not based on their actions or attitude toward us.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Not everyone has been brought up in a loving environment. So, how do you show or express love to others if you’ve never experienced it for yourself? We all come from different backgrounds and the presence or absence of love varies for each of us. Regardless of our starting point, it is only through God that we come to know what true love looks like and how it feels.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. John 15:6
Through our relationship with the Father, the Spirit, and the Lord Jesus, we grow in our understanding of pure, unconditional love. The deeper our relationship is, and the more we get to know Him – the depth of His love becomes increasingly evident. Jesus wants us to stay within the environment of His love because the longer we remain there, the more His love is perfected in us.
In the same way that Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith, the Father is the author and perfecter of love. When we dwell in His presence and in His Word, our love will continually grow deeper, grow stronger, and grow toward perfection.
To love our neighbour as ourselves does take practice, but the more we understand and appreciate the love of God in our own lives, the easier it becomes to extend that love outwards.
Take a moment to consider God’s amazing love. Consider the depth of it; consider the expression of it in your life, and then consider how you can reflect that love to those around you.
