“Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other” (1Jn.4:11)
Dear Abba, nothing is more ponder-worthy than this glorious phrase: “since God loved us that much.” That you love us at all is fabulous. That you love us enough to send Jesus to be our loving Savior and righteousness is magnificent beyond all measure. Indeed, you didn’t send Jesus so you could love us; you sent Jesus because you do love us. Hallelujah!
Because of what you have done for us in Jesus, we live under this ever-flying flag, “His banner over me is love“ (Song of Songs 2:4). We are permanently rooted in your love (Eph.3:17), standing in your grace (Rom.5:1-2), seated in with Jesus in heavenly places (Eph.2:6). In fact, you now love us to the same degree and with the same delight that you love Jesus (John 17:23; 15:9). Hallelujah times 10,000—we love from your love, not for your love.
Abba, make our awareness of your love for us a gazillion times greater than our awareness of how people love us imperfectly and incompletely. And free us to love others as you love us in Jesus—not as we want others to love us. We will only love perfectly when you glorify us; but we can love “imperfectly well” as the Gospel goes deeper into our hearts and as your Spirit does his work in us.
Forgive us for under-believing the Gospel and over-believing the relational lies we grew up with. Free us from relating to others more out of our insecurities, selfishness, and woundedness than out of our “in-Christ-ness” and belovedness. Thank you for securing the Day we will be made perfect in love (1Jn.4:17-18). Hasten that Day, and So Very Amen.
