True Love
God is love.
1 John 4:16b
Every morning, I have the same routine: I wash my face. I get my coffee. I sit in my yellow chair with one dog in my lap and another one at my feet and we all listen to Pray As You Go.
Today, they (the app, not the dogs) said:
“…if you only give love or care or kindness when you can be sure of getting it back, it’s not real care, not real kindness, not real love that you’re giving. Real love is not a deal, a transaction. Real love is given freely. Where in my life do I see God inviting me to love more like that?”
I took a deep breath when I heard those words. I can’t be sure, but I think my dogs did, too.
It’s difficult to truly know the meaning of love. Most of us would probably say we know it when we feel it. But the truth of love is hard, if not impossible, to put into words. True love is bigger than our emotions can contain; richer than our senses can absorb.
The Bible tells us God is love and, I have found that, when trying to explain love, it’s best to begin with God. When a person cuts me off on the highway, or dumps their trash in my yard, or votes or worships differently from me, do I respond in love? Or, instead, do I react out of a sense of what I deserve?
God is love. What if God is inviting us to be love in the world, too?
Something to Do:
Think about a time you have felt truly loved.
Something to Think About:
Who are the people you have trouble loving? Why is that? What if God is inviting you to love them? Do you trust God to lead you into more love today?
Prayer:
God, I accept your invitation to love like you love. Have your way in me. Amen.
Explore more at the Theology of Work Project online commentary:
1 John: Walking in the Light
Deidra Riggs
Writer & Author
Deidra Riggs is a national speaker, an editor, and the founder and host of Jumping Tandem: The Retreat, a bi-annual event for writers, authors, and entrepreneurs. She is a storyteller who creates safe space for navigating...