To encourage others and help us grow in our faith and understanding please be sure to read and/or share your comments about today’s passage in the reply bar at the bottom of the page.
Challenge: This week think of someone in your life with whom you can share the testimony of Jesus (1 John 5:11-12). Who in your life needs to hear this truth? Ask God to give you a clear opportunity this week to share your faith with this person and ask Him for boldness to share when the time arises.
NEW: Prayer Focus for this week – Spend time praying for your friends
Today’s Scripture: 1 John 4:12-19 (S.O.A.P 1 John 4:16)
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in Him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because He first loved us.
My take away from today from the SOAP passage (16) is how John writes that we have come to KNOW and to BELIEVE – it isn’t enough to know the love God has for us but it is believing it and experiencing it – that makes me want to abide in it and have Him abide in me. The more I realize His presence in me the more I find myself acting on that love … trying to live and love like Jesus. Verse 19 is one of my favorite verses of Faith … We [I] love because He first loved us [me]. I mean seriously, we can’t begin to love or know love until we have experienced the love of God – Who loves us just as we are – who loved us when we were still His enemies – Who wants to have a relationship with us/me – Who never leaves or forsakes us – Who gave His only ‘begotten’ Son so that everyone who believes will have everlasting life.
Unbelievers may not see God, or even read the Bible – but they do read the lives of Christians. If we show love to those who expect hate, anger, bitterness etc. – they see God abiding in us. Showing Gods love may warm the heart of someone who needs to know Christ. We must fan the flame of love and never let it go out.
It is important to understand and feel God’s love. When we experience his love, we are able to provide the compassion and non judgments that ourselves and others need. Our self worth is made up of our self esteem which is what we feel about ourselves and our self concept which is what we think about ourselves. Imagine if we allowed ourselves to love ourselves the way God loves us, we would never be down and would be able to spread joy onto others 24/7.