We Love Because God Loves Us
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
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The reason God wants us to love is because he is love, and he created us to be like him – to love. The only reason we’re able to love is because God loves us: “Love comes from God … because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8 NIV).
We were created in God’s image to do two things on earth: Learn to love God and learn to love other people; life is all about love.
But love all started with God. He loved us first and that gives us the ability to love others (1 John 4:19). The only reason you can love God or love anybody else is because God first loved you. And he showed that love by sending Jesus Christ to earth to die for you. He showed that love by creating you. He showed that love by everything you have in life; it’s all a gift of God’s love.
In order to love others and to become great lovers, we first need to understand and feel how much God loves us. We don’t want to just talk about love, read about love, or discuss about love; our need is to experience the love of God.
We need to reach a day when we finally, fully understand how God loves us completely and unconditionally. We need to become secure in the truth that we cannot make God stop loving us.
Once we’re secure inside God’s unconditional love, we’ll start cutting people a lot of slack. We won’t be as angry as we’ve been. We’ll be more patient. We’ll be more forgiving. We’ll be more merciful. We’ll give others grace.
But you cannot give to others what you have not received yourself, and so my hope is that, as you learn how much God loves you, you’ll also let him heal your heart so that his love can flow freely through you. It’s impossible to love others until you really feel loved yourself.
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© 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America’s largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers. |
Thank you, I have seen this lived in real life. My father was a cruel, mean man. I was punished with everything from coat hangers to bicycle chains. After I graduated from high school, my Dad accepted Christ as his Savior. Jesus changed his life. I have a letter my dad wrote me after his salvation, asking for forgiveness for the way he treated me. In his letter he wrote these words and I quote, “Son, I am sorry for the things I did. Forgive me please. I did not know how to love my family because I didnt know how God could love me. I love you son.”
He wrote the letter a fews days before he was tragically killed in an auto accident. Understading how God could love us, is essential to loving others, especially our families.
Thank you for your ministry.
It truly is by the power of God we are able to love anyone. And many don’t realize what love truly is until they find God. Love is to be “not as Cain” who was of the wicked one. Love is to keep God’s commandments and they are not greivous. God’s love is higher than human love. God’s love is truly amazing and Christians will walk in this love being obedient unto God that others may see him in us.