Love Comes from God - The Crosswalk Devotional - February 11
Love Comes from God
By Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” – 1 John 4:7, NIV
The one night my husband and I had together in Paris at the end of our European trip wasn’t going well. We’d dreamed about a romantic night in the most romantic place on Earth. We had hoped to stroll leisurely along the streets of Paris, but cold rain was pouring down on us. We had planned to eat dinner at a certain restaurant, but couldn’t get a reservation and faced a long line there, so we abandoned those plans. We tried to relax and enjoy our meal at another restaurant, but police sirens blared outside, the waiter messed up our order, and people inside the crowded dining room coughed and sneezed all over us. So much for enjoying a loving night in Paris, I thought. But after dinner, we decided to go inside a nearby church that was welcoming people in for a prayer service. After hearing us speak to each other in English, an English-speaking member of the congregation invited us to participate and handed us each a candle to place near the altar. Each of the many candles that were burning there represented the prayers of someone in the church with us that night. During the service, a strong sense of love reached out to us. It wasn’t the romantic love we thought we’d feel in Paris. Instead, it was something far greater: God’s love – which is always there for us.
In 1 John 4:7, the apostle John declares that love itself originates from God. Love is not just a human emotion; love is the core of who God is. John later emphasizes this point in the same chapter, writing: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This means that God is the source of all true love, and when love flows into our lives, it comes from God.
Because God is infinite and eternal, God’s love is unlimited and everlasting. Human love, as beautiful as it can be, often falls short since it’s often conditional, imperfect, or dependent on positive circumstances. However, God loves us completely, in all situations. God’s love isn’t limited to romantic circumstances or special occasions. God pours out his love with no limits, constantly.
When we open ourselves to receive God’s love, it changes us for the better. As the verse says: “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” Loving as God loves requires a relationship with God. It’s only through being “born of God” – experiencing a new spiritual birth through faith in Jesus Christ – that we can begin to know and reflect God’s love.
In our world, love is often presented as something we give or take depending on how we feel. Romantic love, especially, is idolized. We’re told that we can find fulfillment only when we find our one perfect romantic relationship. But this often leads to disappointment, since no other human can love us perfectly, like God does. If we rely only on people or romantic circumstances to meet our need for love, we set ourselves up for frustration. God’s love, in contrast, never disappoints us. It’s not based on chemistry, emotions, or perfect situations. It’s there for us all the time, no matter what.
True love includes but is not limited to romantic love. It also includes the love between family members, friends, neighbors, and even strangers. God calls us to love in ways that reflect his unlimited compassion, such as by practicing kindness, helping people in need, and forgiving those who hurt us. This kind of love is not based on our ability to come up with good feelings on our own. Instead, it’s based on God’s ability to send his love flowing through our lives – which God is always willing to do.
So, let’s celebrate the wonderful reality that we can always experience true love because we can always trust God, the source of all love.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider the reality that God is the source of all love, reflect on these questions:
- How does understanding that love comes from God change the way you think about love in your relationships?
- What are some ways God has shown his love for you personally? How can you share that love with others?
- Are there areas in your life where you’re seeking fulfillment from human love instead of God’s love? How can you redirect your focus to God?
Further Reading:
1 John 4:8
Romans 5:8
John 13:34-35
Ephesians 3:17-19
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/kevron2001
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Related Resource: 3 Simple Steps to Manage Your Emotions
Are you tired of up-and-down feelings stealing your peace, sabotaging your relationships, and filling your mind with self-defeating thoughts? What if you had a proven emotional management tool to biblically respond to your feelings with compassion and clarity? Join us for today’s episode to discover three simple steps to manage emotions, reduce stress, improve decision-making, and grow closer to God. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
