The content, extent, and intent of God’s love
There is nothing more beautiful than when I hear my grandkids say, “Grandpa I love you”. I respond with, “I love you too.” When I hear them say those words, my heart melts and it gets so full. I think God’s heart gets full too when we express our love for him.
In reflecting on God’s love, I am reminded of:
The Content of God’s Love — Love is a core aspect of God’s character. The greatest expression of that love is communicated to us in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The Extent of God’s Love — It has no time limit. God says, “…I have loved you with an everlasting love…”. These were prophetic words in Jeremiah’s day of the coming of the Messiah whose love for us will be an everlasting love. It is encouraging to know that by faith in Jesus, we are now loved by God in the same way that the Father loves His Son! It’s an everlasting love that has always been and will always be! It’s a faithful love that cannot waiver due to our unfaithfulness!
The Intent of God’s Love — If we are not honoring the giver of this love, we are missing out on God’s intent for us to love him in return and love others. There is purpose of God’s love in our lives.
As we live out our lives, how is love expressed in our relationship with God? Spending focused time reading the Bible and praying will let God know that we love and want to get to know more of him.
And then, how is this love expressed in our relation and attitude toward others? Often times, placing ourselves in their shoes, feeling what they are feeling allows us to love the “other.”