God's Love Comes First

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 God's Love Comes First

Scripture: 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

We love because he first loved us.

Devotion:

Have you ever wondered why we love God? Is it because of what he has done for us or who he is? Is it because we are afraid of his wrath, or because we are drawn to his grace? Is it because we want something from him, or because we want to be with him?

The apostle John gives us a simple and profound answer: We love because he first loved us. God's love is not just a feeling we experience, but the very source and motivation of our love. He loved us before we knew him, before we loved him, before we even existed. He loved us when we were sinners, when we were enemies, when we were rebels. He loved us so much that he gave his one and only Son to die for us, to reconcile us, to adopt us. He loved us with an everlasting love that will never let us go, a love that will never fail.

God's love is not only why we love him, but also how we love him. We cannot love God by our own strength, by our own will, by our own effort. We can only love God by his Spirit, grace, and love. His love not only enables us to love him back, but it also transforms us. It empowers us to love others, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to love even our enemies. It is a love that changes us, making us more like him.

God's love is not only the cause and the means of our love, but also the goal and the measure of our love. We love God because we want to know him more, be like him more, and please him more. We love God because we want to glorify him, to enjoy him, to worship him. We love God because he is worthy of all our love, and more. We love others because we want to reflect his love, to share his love, to show his love. We love others. They are made in his image. They are precious to him, because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let us always remember this truth, rejoice in this truth, and respond to this truth. We love because he first loved us. Let us love God with all that we are and love others as he has loved us.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for your love, which is our love's source and standard. Help us to love you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Fill us with your Spirit, that we may grow in your grace and truth. Make us more like your Son, who gave himself for us. May our love be a reflection of your love, a witness of your love, and an incarnation of your love. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

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