Oh How I Love Thee! (#13)

God looks upon us -- “How do I love you? Let me help you count the ways.”

How does God’s love impact our lives? How do we respond to such a love? Do we know His love as He desires it to be known? Do we in turn know Him because we know His love?

John wrote:
“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE.” ( I John 4:8 ESV)

Now there is a statement that ought to get us thinking! John went on to point out...

“(9) In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. (10) In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (11) Beloved, IF GOD SO LOVED US, WE ALSO OUGHT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.” ( I John 4:9-11 ESV)

John implied the logical view is that since God has revealed His love to us, we in turn should naturally extend that love to others. God’s love has been poured out on us and is to overflow through our lives. If we truly realize how much God loves us we will acknowledge it is too much love to keep to ourselves. He has displayed His love so that His love may continue to be displayed through our lives. As this great love characterized God, it is to characterize us as well. His love is to be part of the image renewed ( Colossians 3:10) within us as we have responded to His love and turned our lives over to Him. Love is to be the mark of our true relationship with Him ( John 13:35). Our lives are not to be a dam holding God’s love back and storing it up for ourselves. Our lives should rather be a spigot or a fountain from which God’s love flows to touch the lives of others. However, as this takes place we need to help others see that God is the source of that love; we love, because He first loved us!

Have a great day being a FOUNTAIN FOR GOD!
Carl

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[This focus was originally sent 07/25/1999 (Edited some with passages changed to ESV)]

See other teEn-MAIL on Love