Devotional: Love
Why does the Bible say that “the greatest of these is love?” 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 and 13:13 shows us that love is both our greatest need and our greatest solution. God’s love for us is the greatest need we have – it makes every other need we have pale in comparison. And God pours out His love into our hearts, and loves us – not because we are worthy of his amazing love – but He loves us just because He loves us and because love is who He is. God’s love acted towards us by sending His son to redeem through his blood. Receiving and being filled with that immeasurable love of the Father will enable us to act towards others with the same love we were shown. And that’s what changes our hearts and the world around us. But that redeeming transaction is nurtured in our intimacy with God and abiding in Christ and in his love for us constantly and every day.
Questions for Meditation
- What do you see as the greatest need in your life at the moment? Is your need for God’s love greater than that? Why?
- Why does our society celebrate dishonor and “dunking” on people by canceling them? Why should the children of God be different? What enables us to be different?
- Do you tend to love people based on whether they deserve it? Do you tend to relate to God based on whether you deserve it?
- Who gives first in the transaction of love between us and God? What are some ways you can nurture that transaction? What areas of your life does God’s love for you impact and change?
- Read John 15:9. Reflect on what it means to abide. What would it look like to abide in Christ in your own day to day life? What impact would abiding have on your life and others?
- Read 1 Peter 4:8. Does love flow from a feeling or is it an act? Should you only be loving when you feel it? When it comes to love, why is “doing” more powerful than “feeling”?
- What is the essence of who God is? What do you want the essence of who you are to be? Who can make you love like the Father?