I don’t know about you but I am a forgetful person. I have a tendency to get the day going, move from task to task, from responsibility to responsibility, from person to person…and sometimes at the end of the day, forget a lot about what I did. Add those days up, and then I might forget what a week consisted of, maybe even a month, and so on.
I’m grateful for the Holy Spirit to lead me and keep me on track, often times reminding me of the Gospel. I’m also encouraged by John 14:26 since it tells us we are people who need to be taught, and we are people who forget.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” – John 14:26
One of the greatest reminders that God seems to be bringing to me over and over again is why we love in the first place. Why do followers of Jesus love others? Why do we really do anything at the end of the day?
“We Love Because He First Loved Us” – 1 John 4:19
Here are 3 reasons why we love:
Because He
“In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1)
Everything we know started with God and everything we know ends with God, forever in eternity. He deserves all of the glory and honor for everything because He is perfect, holy, and the whole earth is filled with His Glory (Psalm 72:19).
Over and over again throughout Scripture we see God is all about His Glory and Jesus was about the same. Everything starts with Him and He is the initiator…
Because He First
God is the initiator in our lives, every…single…time. Often we start striving towards things and before you know it, we’ve convinced ourselves we’ve done something on our own effort.
However, the single fact that you are breathing right now while reading this post proves that you need God. You’re only breathing because of Him anyway. If we can’t even take a single breath without Him giving it to us, how much more does that show He initiates in other areas of our lives?
He always takes the first steps and has always shown His love to us first…
Because He First Loved Us
The Bible centers around Jesus and The Gospel. The message that Jesus came and lived a perfect life, died on the cross paying the penalty for all past, present, and future sins, and rose again defeating death and sin in victory.
Jesus saved us, we didn’t save ourselves, and that is good news!
Jesus led by example while He lived here on this earth on how He served His Heavenly Father, loved others, and sacrificed for all. He is our model and example for everything that we do.
We need this reminder daily from the Holy Spirit. We need to be reminded that life isn’t about us, but it’s about God, His Glory, Jesus, and loving others because Jesus first loved us.
God continues to remind me of 1 John 4:19 as I go throughout my day to apply that to whatever task I am completing, responsibility I’m taking care of, or person I’m speaking with. I hope you’re reminded today as a follower of Jesus, He is the reason you do anything, and that nothing will separate you from the love of Christ.
“ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39
We love…Because He (His Glory), First (He Initiates), Loved Us (He Died For Us). – 1 John 4:19
May the love of the Lord permeate everything we think, say, and do! Thanks, Mike. God bless.
Thanks Mary!
You’re surely welcome.