Love because I was first loved...?

1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

🤔🤔🤔

? ? ?

I wonder if this is a verse that all Christians immediately understand. I didn't.

Just because someone loves me, why would that suddenly make it easier for me to love everyone else? They never did anything for me to deserve it.

It's been 3 years, and I think I get it (better) now! Here are my thoughts.

(Before I start, if you already fully get this verse then perhaps this will only offer a different perspective. Alsooo these are simply thoughts, I haven't done any in depth word studies.)

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The first perspective I think is pretty evident in my life, I've just never thought much about it.

I noticed when someone acknowledges me and goes out of their way to show me they care for me. I just feel special🤷‍♀️. I'm happier, kinder, more patient, and find it easier to be a better person.

So I feel like, receiving love empowers us to love.

Receiving love comes in many forms but it could be friends (or anyone) who ask if I want anything from my fave cafe, who go out of their way to drop me home, who send a text once in a while to check what's up, who ask to pray with me, friends who call randomly, strangers who offer help when you're lost etc.

I always feel happier receiving these. When someone shows me that I am recognised, known and valued. It's powerful! Ultimately, it's difficult for me to respond negatively to people when I'm receiving so much positivity and love.

It's actually more difficult to not love when I'm constantly being fed with love.

The natural response to a constant experience of God's love

is sharing that love.

Another thing I noticed is that it really depends on who I am receiving that love from. 2019 has been a year of me realising the power of being loved by God and why that should drastically change my love for others.

Being loved by another human is great. But being loved by God isn't like being loved by another finite human...God's love is infinite, unchanging and supernatural.

lol, but so what?

I think about it this way; it's powerful to be loved by someone who has seen all the ugliest sides of me, who knows all my weaknesses, who's seen me at my lowest, been a victim of my nasty insults and someone who has been rejected by me time and time again. Yet, that same someone has been there regardless; persistent in pursuing me and loving me with an unchanging, vast, gentle, humbling, infinite kind of love. I believe this is who God is.

Romans 8:37-39 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Every other human in my life will never know me to the extent of the God who created me. Hence, it's impossible for them to love every bit of me to the extent that God can.

It's different isn't it?

To be loved by someone without me trying, pretending, lying, without me doing anything but just being me. It's so powerful. I believe this is why no human love could ever replace the love of God.

God also demonstrates this in a pretty vivid way:

Romans 5:8 God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I can't say I have met anyone who has loved me enough to die for me. Though I'm 100% certain my parents would. But the difference is even my parents don't know the true extent of my brokenness, sinfulness and ugliness. It'd be hard for them to die fully loving me (without unforgiveness, bitterness, judgement, anger etc.) the way God can.

God is also completely perfect, and sees all my brokenness. Yet that same perfect God chose to take on the punishments for my sins while fully seeing all of my lack. He is capable of fully forgiving and loving me despite it.

Isn't this the love story that everyone seems to be looking for, yet are unwilling to accept?

Another thought is; when I don't love, aren't my actions proclaiming that I don't know God? God literally says so...

1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

The Bible says God is love.

I feel like it's silly but I have to remind myself that God created love and He is love.

Is it even possible to declare I know God but then simultaneously declare I don't know love? Receiving love from the source of love is waaaay more powerful than receiving it through another channel e.g. other humans.

I am capable to love because love (God) lives within me and He is the very existence/source/power of love.

But perhaps most importantly. I believe this is a supernatural kind of love that required God (Holy Spirit) to help me understand the ridiiiiiculous depth of how much His love for me is.

I mean how could I naturally understand how a stranger who claimed to be the Son of God, 2000 ish years ago, loved me so much that He paid all of the punishments for my sins, was crucified and died on a cross; therefore, I can have a perfect and good eternal life with a God I'm not even sure exists... so now because He showed me He loves me, I need to love others? 😶😶😶

I legit couldn't understand 1 John 4:19 without a supernatural God helping me.

I love because God first supernaturally empowered me to understand the depth of His love and gives me the desire to love like He does.

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I don't know how long it took you to grasp 1 John 4:19. But hey, it took me 3 years.

Yet I wouldn't trade it for anything. It was not wasted.

I feel like there are so many layers in understanding the Word of God. Literally, my spiritual eyes are opened wider and my heart is fuller each time God reveals another depth to His word.

Moments like this are precious. But I noticed that deeper understandings and convictions only happen when I am willing to question. To invest thought and time into asking but God, why and how is this true?

I could've allowed myself to be content with my lack of understanding and simply obeyed/believed that God loves me so I need to love others...but I would've missed out on the vast amount of wisdom and beauty behind His word.

It's crazy how God answers when we ask, and how His Word can continue to convict me deeply like this!

I pray it does so for you too.

Would love to hear how you are personally convinced to love because God first loved you!