God's Love

 

It is time for a little love!  As we enter February, I will be taking the first three weeks of the month (prior to Lent) to focus on love.  We certainly need a bit more love in our lives these days.  When I look around, or turn on the news, my heart breaks for all that I see and hear about.  Bringing love to the forefront of our thoughts and actions, regardless of our circumstances, is something God asks us to do.

This week, we are focusing on God’s love for us.  God’s love is uncomprehensible to me.  It is hard to imagine love without any conditions.  A love that is not hurt when the recipient turns their back.  A love that loves us at our worst.  As humans, as sinners, no matter how hard we try, unconditional love is tough.  Today’s verse sends forth such a powerful message of God’s love.  Let us unpack it.

1)      “. . . God shows His love. . .”  God acts on His love for us.  He does not idly stand by and says He love us; He does something about it!!  Isn’t that just like God?  There is no idling with God – He is an action type of God.

 

2)      “. . . while we were still sinners. . .”  His action is taken not while we were ‘good,’ but while we were sinners.  Friends, throughout the day, although we may try to stand up to the devil, sin takes over.  It is hard to love someone when they have sinned against us.  When someone hurts us, physically or emotionally; when someone disappoints us; when someone turns their back on us, it is tough to come back and love them.  But God is not us, God is not human.  He showed His love for us while we were sinners!!

 

3)      “. . . Christ died for us. “There is the action that was taken!  While we were sinning, while we were turning our backs on God, God actioned His love for us by giving His only Son to us – to DIE for us.  Jesus spent 33 years on earth only to know that He would walk to Calvary, for us!  His death and His resurrection are the greatest actions of love to us sinners.

It is hard to imagine showing love to another human after great hurt or disappointment.  Showing God’s kind of love to those people?  Not possible.  That is the truth!  Only God could love us like this.  We will always have His love, even if love is not present for us here on earth.  I remember praying for love, for a relationship, for someone to come into my life.  A wonderful friend Barbara shared with me that I have someone like that already – my dear God.  What a wonderful reminder from her that God’s love for us is greater than anything on earth.  We need to have simple faith to know God’s love is always with us.

 

Video that complements this post:  God's Love

Dear Lord, thank you for your unconditional and ever-present love for us.  Amen!