The Authentic Christian LifeSample

God is love, so love one another

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. —1 John 4:7-8

There is no greater or purer motivation for surfing that just for the love of it.

One can learn the language, the history and even the sport of surfing, but it’s when you know the love of surfing that you truly are a surfer. It’s this love that keeps you chasing the real thing.It’s what helps you stick at it in the early years… and continue with it in your later ones.

The same is true for your faith. It’s the love you have for God – and His love for you – that will enable your relationship to grow and your character to develop in Jesus’ image rather than your own.

We learned earlier in this plan that God is light (1 John 1:5). Today, we read in 1 John chapter 4 that God is love. That means He doesn’t just act lovingly. He is love in His being. We need never fear that somehow God will have a bad day or His love for us will run out.

So to say that we know God, who is love, but then not practice love to others, is living a lie. To honor God and live in Him, we must love with much more than just our words. Our love for Him should show in the way we love the people around us, His children. It’s not just something you claim. It’s something you live.

We said earlier that seeing is believing – and that’s so true of seeing love in action.

John writes that God showed how much He loved us in His Son, who lives, dies and rises for us to enter into eternal life.

Our response is to show our love for God in our love for others. We need not fear God’s judgment because of His perfect love for us, and our perfecting love for others. It works both ways, never one without the other.

Your love for God and for others doesn’t earn your salvation – but it visibly shows that you are saved. And the way you love your family, friends and fellow surfers will show them who God is.

Go deeper:

• Read 1 John 4 again. Why do you think this chapter so strong about proving your love for God (whom you can’t see) by loving those you can see? When have you found this challenging in your life? With whom and why?
• How can you show God’s love to the people around you today? Start small, and see how you can grow