Loved First

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

At the bottom of my blog is a picture of my bike. It's labelled "My Pastor's Appreciation Gift." I received that gift three years ago, but I keep that picture there because I'm still overwhelmed by it. That bike is one I could have never owned except as a gift. It's too good a bike for my caliber of cyclist. It's too expensive to purchase for myself. And it still the best ride I've ever experienced. So why did my congregation honor me with that gift? There's only one word to explain it... love.

When I received that gift I had been pastor of the congregation for seven years. I'm sure they never would have made such a gift to me when I first walked in the door. Yes, they were glad I had accepted their call, and they were pleased to have a pastor after a long search, but they did not yet love me enough to make that kind of sacrifice. So why did they do so after seven years? Because I loved them.

Now that doesn't make me a hero. I loved God's people and ministered faithfully to them not because I'm such a great guy. I did it because God first loved me and gave His Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Because I know the wonder of God's unconditional, undeserved love for me, it enables me to love others.

All genuine love originates with God. God is love. A lot of the time, things that we call love are very self-serving. "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." But whenever love is freely given, without any expectation of return, and without any merit or worthiness on the part of the recipient, then we see real love that flows from God. Because that's how God loved us.

We would be completely incapable of loving and serving God if He had not first loved us. The only reason we can ever choose God is because God loved us from eternity and chose us in Christ to be His very own. So whenever I ride my bike or even see that picture of it I say, "Thanks be to God!" Because unless God first loved me I never would have loved God's people, who in turn loved me and blessed me with that gift.

Do you need some love in your life? Turn to God. He loves you unconditionally. When you experience His love in Jesus, then you will be able to love someone else. And when you love someone else, some of that love will come back to you. But it all goes back to God, since... We love because God first loved us.