Love of God

In my Bible, in I John, I went through the text and colored a  '♥' on top of the word 'love' every time it is used. Looking over the pages, it is plain to see that this is a big topic in 1st John! The hearts are everywhere!

There's a wonderful verse in I John 10:

¹⁰ Herein is ♥, not that we ♥d God, but that he ♥d us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The emphasis in this verse is on God's love for us, not on how much we love Him! Truly, if all we had was the realization of  how much God has loved us in providing what he has through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, we would be incredibly blessed! God LOVES us! That is a big deal! We can really love others too! (I John 4:11) when we are free in the knowledge of how much God loves us.

Love from God is not hurried or make us defensive, and is not a cause for comparisons among ourselves. There is no need to boast about it or elevate ourselves over others. It certainly is unselfish and keeps us calm, peaceful and un-reactive to things we don't need to react to.  It certainly does not invent things about others. Love from God just never never fails because it is not filtered through 'fear' and we are able to freely and boldly love as God loves!