1 John 3:1-2 and 11 - How great is the love the
Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did
not know him. Dear friends, now we
are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been
made known. But we know that when he appears, we
shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ……. This is the message
you heard from the beginning: We should
love one another.
God’s deep love…lavished on me every day…so much that I just
can’t wrap my brain around the ways that he show his love to me. It is amazing
to wake each morning and walk close enough to him to hear his voice and hold
his hand. He has loved me through the
worst storms of life … and his love helps me to understand why everything in
life is not picture perfect.
God loved us so much that he gave up his only son….to die
for the many sins we commit each day. His love is a free gift…that I sure don’t
deserve. It makes me think of the time I had to run out of the movie theater in
tears. I was watching the Passion of
Christ…..and I just couldn’t watch them beat him anymore. I kept thinking about how it was my fault…he
didn’t deserve that horrible treatment.
John is telling us that this gift we receive from Christ…it
should transform our selfish nature into the same loving nature that Christ had…the
same as his father. John is telling us that we won’t ever really understand the
love of God…but to just let it wash our old selfishness right out of our hearts
and allow God’s love to take over. God’s
love will begin to teach us how to love others the way he did…without regard to
gender…lifestyle…economic status…or color.
God’s love knows no boundaries…it lays its life down for others….so that
they too can know the great love and peace of the father.
Father….I thank you for this reminder that I am to love no
matter what. Help me to really grasp how
to love all people…no matter how they are dressed…where they work…or where they
live. Teach me how to really love others
the way you did. Forgive me for putting
boundaries on my love in the past. Help
me to never build up those walls of judgement again….but to always look at
others with your eyes…and react to them with your heart. Amen.
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