The Teaching of Love

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:  In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:16-19

When I was in college, I saw a video clip of a man I came to admire greatly, Leo Buscaglia.  I listened to that video and my life was changed.  He was a professor at the University of Southern California.  He taught love.  In fact, his nickname was Dr. Love.  He transformed me in many ways.  The books that he wrote, the quotes that he shared, truly spoke to me.  Yes, he was an author.  Yes, he was a professor.  Yes, he was a motivational speaker.  What he did was touch my heart.  I have carried his books with me as I moved through life - from apartment to house, from office to office.  He was trying to teach people how to love - love life, love themselves, and love each other.

If there was truly a person who did that first, it was Jesus.  Jesus, from birth to death to resurrection, has taught us how to love.  The last sentence of our passage so eloquently aligns our study - we love because God first loved us.  He loves us enough to create us.  He loves us enough to send His only Son to earth.  He loves us enough to let Jesus be crucified.  He loves us enough to provide everything for us.  He loves us enough to leave us His words to be read, studied and taught.  He loves us enough.

Have you ever felt God's immense love for you?  Through the beauty of this earth?  Through generosity of others?  Through relationships?  God's love for us is truly all around us.  He loved us first and His love never ends.  If we stop long enough to realize it, His love surrounds us each and every minute of the day.  When this earthly life disappoints us or we struggle with our circumstances, we can open the Bible to realize that God is there for us - through his generous love.

What are we to do with the love God gives us?  We love others!  We love completely.  We love without fear.  We choose love over hate - love over hurt - love over anger.  We choose love.  We become the vehicle that God uses to share His love with others.  That love can flow from us in so many different ways.  It may be as something as large as wedding vows or as simple as a home cooked meal.  It may be as quiet as a whisper of "I love you" or as loud as a clanging symbol of a band.  Teaching us to love is one of God's greatest gifts to us.  It is a gift - and how we use that gift is the blessing God wants back.  

“Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly, and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.” Leo Buscaglia

 I don't know about you, but it's hard to love freely, willingly and without expectation.  Yet, God does.  He loves us without any conditions tied to it.  He loves us freely.  He has taught us the greatest way to love - through Jesus.  We can all use a dose of Dr. Love - the original Dr. Love - Jesus!!  By following His great example, we can love others because He first loved us.  Let's have some simple faith in ourselves and in others - may the love God gives to us freely flow throughout our lives.

Oh Jesus, how you so generously gave your love to us.  From your birth to today, we are able to love others because you have taught us how to love - without any conditions.  This is hard for us, Jesus, but help us all to step out in this world with hearts filled with love and actions that share that love with others.  May everyone we meet see your love lived out through us.  In your loving name we pray.  Amen!

No Fear in Love

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:  In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:16-19

Two words in one sentence - fear and love.  For many of us who remember the game on Sesame Street, "One of These Things Doesn't Belong", it seems that is the case for these two words.  Unless we use a negative such as "no" or "not", their definitions don't align.  Yet, . . .

There are situations, I have lived through situations, where these words are linked.  Some of you reading this may feel the same way.  We have been in relationships where the word love has fallen into the same sentence with fear.  That fear can come in many different pictures in our lives.  There are times when it can be:

. . .   Fear of Loss of Love

. . .   Fear of Abuse (emotional/physical)

. . .   Fear of Loneliness

. . .   Fear of Defeat

At that point in my life, I felt confusion.  It drained me.  It turned me into a shell of a person.  Others around me could see it.  My family saw it.  I didn't.  I kept moving, yet I felt as if my soul was left behind.  One day, God said, "Enough"!  

It was a day God spoke to my soul.  Through the crying, the disbelief, and the anguish rose strength; the strength of God's love that breaks through all that fear.  God's love is perfection.  Not OUR love, but God's love.  God's love shows us how we are broken and how God is whole.  God's love shows us that there is no place for fear in love.  God's love shows us how strong we can be through God's love.  When we step aside from our daily fears and step into God's love, the perfect God shines upon us.

There is no fear in love.  Powerful words!  We all need to go through life knowing that our Savior, Jesus, has made love perfect.   He will lead us to find that love here on Earth.  He will guide us to the love that is made perfect through Him.  He will reveal to us the truth - no fear in love.  Having simple faith that Jesus will give us all the love we will ever need, His way in His time, is the strength all of us can count on.  No Fear in Love!!  God's love is Perfect!  Spend time drinking in those words.  Smile and know how good God is. 

Dearest Jesus, you are the one who shows us what perfect love is.  That perfect love came to earth.  That perfect love brought people to the truth.  That perfect love died on the cross for us.  That perfect love rose on the third day and waits for us in our heavenly home.  Thank you for helping us know that there is no fear in love.  May we always find strength in those words.  In your gracious name we pray.  Amen!

Love Made Complete

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:  In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:16-19

Love is Scary!  I know, bold words to say just a few days before Valentine's Day.  Think back, though, to those that you love and hold close to you.  Saying, "I love you" for the first time can feel like dipping your toe into a huge ocean.  Why is it so scary?  We are making ourselves vulnerable to another person.  We are sharing an intimate feeling, an intimate emotion, that shares so much of ourselves.  I think back upon the first time I said "I love you" to my wonderful husband.  It popped out of my mouth, and then I remember saying, "Wait, let me take that back!"  Yes, words that he brings back to my memory in a loving way almost 14 years later!  Saying I love you can be risky.  (By the way, a few days later, I did say, "I love you" and am so very glad I did!).

Many of us know, though, that when we say those three words to someone, there can be great joy and such heart melding.  When we step out into the ocean of love, it can fulfill places in our heart and soul that may be missing.  It can be a love for a spouse, a child, a parent, or even those around us.  Yet, there are also times when we know people for a very short time and feel a special love for them.  That always intrigues me.  How can that be?  I am reminded that we don't need to know people for a long time to feel love for them.  

Love that is shared with others, whether a long or short term relationship, is love that comes from God.  When we realize that we have a heavenly Father that loves us so much that He would give His only Son to die for us, we realize that this love that has been shared with us needs to be shared with others.  We are Jesus' love on this Earth.  We have the ability to take the love that God shows to us and give it, freely and joyfully, to those around us - making love complete.  The chain of love continues as we show others what love is. 

When we share our love with others, whomever we meet, we are sharing our God with them.  We are sharing His warmth, His grace, His joy, and His salvation.  When we look at love through that lens, it is less scary and more secure.  Love is then made complete.  We then walk with a confidence that makes love strong in every sense, and we know that the power of love will be shared with others.  

Jesus does that - he makes our love complete.  Our love from Him and for Him is shown in the love we share with those around us.  Take that dip into the water.  Share all that love in your heart with others.  Don't be like me all those years ago - say, "I love you" boldly!  For when you do, Jesus will complete those words with, "I love you too"!  To my incredible husband, who makes my love complete, thank you for taking that dip into the ocean with me.  May our love continue to grow with God's grace, and may we share our love with those around us.  Happy Love Day Everyone!!

"Dearest God, your love pours down upon us here on earth.   We not only feel it every day through your word, but we also feel it from those around us.  Help me to make your generous and abundant love felt by those I come in contact with.  May they see you, feel you, through me so that your love can be complete.  In your loving name I pray.  Amen!

God is Love

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This is how love made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment:  In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he first loved us."  1 John 16-19

It's February!  Hard to believe we have entered February already - January flew by!!  I have always designated February as the Love Month.  Yes, it has lots to do with Valentine's Day.  My dad loved Valentine's Day (there weren't too many holidays my Dad didn't like).  It was all about finding new and unique ways for him to share his love with my Mom.  Yet, it was more than that.  It was about expressing love throughout our family.  This meant special meals prepared by my Dad and brother.  It meant gifts selected precisely for that person (not always the most expensive, but the most meaningful).  It meant small notes and cherished smiles.

The three most special words of our verses above focuses on "God is Love".  It's hard to see love when God asked Abraham to take his son to the top of a mountain as a sacrifice.  It's hard to see love when God sent the seven plagues.  It's hard to see love as God's son died on the cross.  There are many references throughout the Bible where it may be difficult for us to see God's love.  

It is no different today.  It is hard to see God's love in environmental tragedies.  It's hard to see God's love in wars and disagreements.  It's hard to see God's love in watching people suffer from health issues.  What is important for us to understand is that these things are going to happen, but it doesn't mean that God doesn't love us.  In fact, the answer is in the first sentence of our verse.  When we RELY on the love God has for us, we then know that God is with us.  

Relying on God's love doesn't mean a life of no tragedies, a life where there are no disagreements, a life with no suffering.  Relying on God's love means a life where we have someone who will always put their arms around us, hold us close, and let us know we are not alone.  Isn't that what love is?  To be able to have someone that we can go to during good times and bad and continues to hold us no matter what the circumstance?  Someone who always finds new and unique ways to love us.  Someone who expresses their love for us each day we rise.  Someone who has prepared the most precious meal, for us, the Holy Supper.  Someone who has written the biggest love note ever in the Holy Bible.   God is love - every day, every moment, on earth and in heaven.

It's not always easy to see God with us and feel is love surround us.  Many times it happens in the places we least expect it - through a smile of a grocery clerk, through a hug from a friend, through a song on a radio, or through the beauty of a sunrise.  God's love is there, my friend.  He can't wait to wrap you up in his arms of love.  Seek him and let God know that you want to rely on him for his love.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your abounding love.  No matter what situation I am in, no matter how heavy my sin or how many times I have turned my back on you, you continue to lavish your love around me.  Help me to rely on you, God, so that I can feel your love each and every day.  In your loving arms I am at home.  Amen!