1 John 4:7-21
Today's Scripture

God is love. We love because he first loved us. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for^] our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

These verses are so familiar to us, yet how often do we remind ourselves of them? Knowing how great God's love is for us, his love ought to spill over in our lives to include all we encounter. And John even goes so far as to say, if we do not love our brother, whom we have seen, we cannot love God, whom we have not seen.

Maybe we are fearful of loving someone. But John teaches that there is no fear in love--that perfect love drives out fear. If we love each other with God's love, all fear is gone.

Obviously, we cannot love everyone as a husband loves his wife or a wife loves her husband--that is special love reserved for marriage. But we can love with the love of Christ, and care for our brothers and sisters with a holy love that comes from above.

It's not easy, but we need not fear. We have God's Spirit within us, loving us, spurring us on to love others.

- posted by Suzi @ 8:43 AM