"Love is of God..." - 1 John 4, 7

In my last blog post, I addressed the matter of ‘forgiving one another’, which at times might be hard, according to us, hard to show true love always under all circumstances, unconditional, self –denying. Who is really able to give this love always?

Yet before saying, “I can never do this!”, may I point you a wonderful message recorded in the  first letter of the apostle, 1 John 4, 7, where it reads, “love is of God”. After all, from ourselves we will never be able to muster the unconditional love God requires of us. It is beyond our capabilities. At times, we may think, if I try hard enough things might change in my life. Yet, it is not our good intentions that in the end will get us there. It’s beyond us. From ourselves we will never attain it. Instead – the same message as my previous blog post – only by abiding in God’s wonderful love, by which He loved us first, we are also able to express true love.

Abiding in God’s wonderful love by which He loved us first – this means: standing in awe of this love, marvelling how much God loved us in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of our life. Warming ourselves in this great love will cause life to flourish.

Love is of God, we cannot muster it by certain good intentions to change our life. However, this should not cause us simply to sit on our laurels so to speak. Love remains also a commitment we have to make, be it through power from above. God requires of us to show this love in our actions towards Him, but also towards our neighbour. It remains a command, for example in marriage, even when it might be hard at times, for example when confronted with brokenness in marriage. It can happen in some marriages that at times it may cross our mind that we live with somebody that is unlovable and therefore it is difficult to keep on loving that person. However, when this happens, a husband or a wife should remember this: redeemed by Christ, not only by His blood but also by His Spirit, thus having become a new creature in and through Christ, we are commanded to love. I like to note, this does not only apply to marriage relationships, but in all relationships, we are called to show this love always. This should never depend on how loving the other person is.

In Eph. 5,2, the apostle Paul writes, “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma.” This verse clearly shows the standard for loving is the way Christ loved us: unconditional, even to people we think might not be deserving of our love. Be imitators of God as dear children. Dear – i.e. loved by God; hence, we too are called to walk in love, because we ourselves have been loved so much!

So, to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbour as yourself, perfect love 100 %, 24/7, is this hard to do. It is not hard when daily we warm ourselves in God’s love for us, being amazed at God’s love for me a sinner. Who am I that in response I would not also express this same love? 

Warming yourself in God’s love, God Himself will give you the ability to show this wonderful love each day anew, when you indeed walk with Him, walking in love radiating it as a pleasing aroma to God, but also to everyone who God may cause to cross your path.

So never forget: love is of God, He will give to you when you walk with Him, warming yourself in the love by which He loved us first.