7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:7-12)
Thoughts: The essence of God is love. God defines love. While we do not worship love, worship without love is nothing. Paul says of worship, "Though I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love I am nothing...though I give all I own to the poor- if I have not love I am nothing" (1 Cor 13). Similarly, John says that if we love we manifest and exhibit God to the world. When the church is doing things right- we love. When we leave the church- we are not loving. When we force others to leave- we are not loving. When the church gossips; when church people don't speak to each other- there is a hole in the church. God loved us when we were unlovable. It wasn't that we became lovable so God sent the sacrifice of His Son. No, it was that we messed up- but God loved us anyway. God sent His Son, knowing we did not deserve it. This is how we should love. Not waiting for people to do the right thing so we can love them- but turning the other cheek and praying for our enemies. Many a church has died not because their theology was wrong but because they did not love.
Prayer: Lord, let me love people around me as you have loved me. Let me give of myself for the betterment of your kingdom.
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