#verse21

1 John 4:21 (NIV)

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

The Apostle John ends chapter 4 on this note … why? Because, it is one of God’s most important commands - to love one another. John is reminding us here about God’s love, in comparison to our love; oh wait, there is none! God IS love, therefore if we don't show love to our brothers and sisters, as He has called us to, we don’t really know Him, do we? No, according to these wise words from John we don’t. If we truly understood what love was, we would show it to everyone a lot more often I’m sure because we would see how much the world needs God = LOVE!

In another post we talked about how "easy" it was to SAY we love God, but what about our actions? Haven't we always been taught that they speak even louder than words? So then if we say we love God yet don't show it in our actions, John says that we are liars & I agree. I have to constantly check myself, and my thinking process, to remind myself to show love to everyone. There are definitely times I don't want to, but then I think of Christ's love displayed on the cross and how he didn't have to do that for me but chose to anyway! I'm encouraged and empowered to share that love with people because He is in me. If he wasn't in me, I wouldn't think twice about not showing love to people, or doing a better job of actually loving them by more than just words.

But because love is in me I DO feel this desire to share it with others, and that's only because God is love and He remains within me! So it's actually God doing the loving through me, not me at all because by nature I just wouldn't care.

Thank you God for loving us, showing us grace and mercy by sending your love (Jesus) and giving us love from your Spirit that dwells within us so that we can show love to each and every person we know!