“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10) NIV
There is a quotation by Mr. Richard C. Halversion that defines the love of God: “There is nothing you can do to make God love you more! There is nothing you can do to make God love you less! His love is Unconditional, Impartial, Everlasting, Infinite, Perfect!”
The love of God is beyond men’s comprehension. It is a demonstration of the grace of God. It is not affected by our attitude and action. We are the recipients of the love of God. When we become a child of God, we are the reflections of the love of God. Our lives will reflect the drastic impact the love of God has created. God took the initiative to love us by sending His beloved Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (see 1 John 2:2 NIV). He is the One who turns away God’s wrath from us. He is the One who is doing the transforming work in our lives. Transformation is taking place. It continues to take place in our lives, in our relationships and in our services.
It is always good to look at the love of God afresh and anew. With this intense focus on the love of God, let us begin the journey of appreciating this great love of God for ourselves and for those around us. Our loving Lord Jesus has paid a great price for each one of us. We are not our own, but we are His. We belong to Him. How dare we live our lives as though it is our own! We live our lives through our Lord Jesus Christ! We are now able to live this “purchased” life because of the great love which God has shown us through Christ’s redemptive blood shed on the cross for us.
When a couple begins courting each other, it is often the love for each other that sustains that relationship. If that relationship starts with the wrong intention or note, it often is almost unsustainable. When they begin to appreciate each other’s love, their relationship grows deeper and they are drawn closer to each other. Similarly, as we appreciate the love God has shown towards us, we will be drawn closer to Him. Our relationship with God will grow deeper and our faith in Him will be strengthened.
What does it entail in appreciating the love of God? As for me, the love of God has greatly changed my perspective in life and in living for His sake. The main factor which brought me to Christ is the love of God: God’s unconditional love richly showered upon me through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. I am forever indebted to His amazing love for me. I am forever grateful to His abundant love for me. I will sing of His faithful love towards me. It is God’s great love which has impacted my life and transformed my life. It is this love of God which gives me boldness and confidence to speak and to share of His everlasting love to others. When I put God first in my life, I am showing Him that I appreciate His love. When I set aside an unhurried and unhindered time especially for God in reading His Word and in listening to Him, this reflects my genuine appreciation for His great love. When I sense the spiritual needs of His children and set aside time to teach and nurture them in the Word and prayer, I am demonstrating my appreciation for His gracious love. Whenever I come across a stranger and show him a little kindness, the appreciation of the love of God is evident in my attitude and action towards him. Of course, I do not mean that we should not exercise prudence in showing kindness to strangers. We should pray and discern the Lord’s guidance and direction in every matter: whether big or small, whether major or minor. Do not be afraid of strangers but be tactful in interacting with them and treating them. They may be the ones whom God has brought along our paths. They could be God’s divine appointment for you to bring them into His fold. Let us give attention to the words of Hebrews 13:1–2 NKJV: “Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”
Appreciating the love of God! Wow! The best way to appreciate the love of God is to show it to others in practical ways. Here are some thought-provoking questions for us to consider:
- How do we appreciate His love towards us?
- How do we reciprocate His love among us?
- How do we demonstrate His love towards those outside His fold?
Another practical way to appreciate the love of God is to really love those entrusted to your care, i.e. your children. To learn how to really love your children, here are six pointers recommended by Dr Ross Campbell:
Remember that (1) They are children. (2) They tend to act like children. (3) Much of childish behaviour is unpleasant. (4) If I do my part as a parent and love them despite their childish behaviour, they will be able to mature and give up childish ways. (5) If I only love them when they please me (conditional love) and convey my love to them only during those times, they will not feel genuinely loved. This in turn will make them insecure, damage their self-image, and prevent them from moving on to better self-control and more mature behaviour. Therefore, their behaviour is my responsibility as much as theirs. (6) If I love them unconditionally, they will feel good about themselves and be comfortable with themselves. They will then be able to control their anxiety and, in turn, their behaviour, as they grow into adulthood.
