All of us want to be loved. All of us long for someone to love us. All of us want to give love.
Love that is perfect, personal and close. Love that is unfailing and unwavering. Love that is unconditional; that loves in spite of faults and failings. Love that is transformation; that doesn’t leave us in our faults and failings but reaches out and lifts up and makes us gloriously new. All of us deal with feeling unloveable. All of us wonder if there is such perfect love for us. All of let this fear of not being loved cause us to withhold our love. In 1 John 4:16 we read, “God is love.” God. Is. Love. Who God is, His character and actions, is the very definition of love. What it means to be loved and to give love is found in Him. Before the creation of the world, before time began, there was God; God the Father, Son and Spirit living in love relationship. Before we ever had a longing for love, there was Love. And that Love gave life to us. That Love created us to live in love with Him. We long for love, because we were created for love. But sin entered the world, and we are born with sin darkening our hearts. The ugliness of our turning away from Love; of our trying to live apart from Him who gave us life. And apart from Him, there is only pride, fear, shame, blame, selfishness. Robbers and murderers of love. We are approaching Christmas. That time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. God sending His Son to be the Savior of the world, to restore us to the life for which we were created. 1 John 4:9-10 says, “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” And John 3:16 says, “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.” Jesus’ birth, God sending His Son into the world to be the Savior of the world, was an extravagant display of love. It was an act of intimate love. And this love was poured out so we could return to Him. So we could say, “I love you” back. So we could enter into that eternal love relationship. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because He first loved us.” God is love. So as we come to know God, we come to know love. We learn how to love. We live in love.
Living in love with God causes love to pour out from us. We live selflessly, sacrificially. We don’t fear for our lives, for we know we will always have life in Christ. Love casts out fear and gives confidence. And so we can freely give love.
Giving love is a proclamation of God’s perfect love. It is Him shining His light through us so others may see His love for them. That is why we are commanded, “Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) I know this probably isn’t your typical Christmas post, but celebrating Christmas is a celebration of God’s love for us. For it was out of love that God sent His Son to save us. And I know I often need reminding of God’s love for me. Because in the face of such perfect love, selfishness and fear and insecurities and shame have to flee. In the face of such love, I yearn to return love, and it is love that enables me to obey my Father and Savior (John 15:10). We were created for love. God is love. God loves you. And isn’t that wonderful? On Friday, I'll be sending a video in which I'll share more from God's Word about His love for us. Subscribe below so you don't miss it! 
The post Wonderful: God Is Love first appeared on The Overflowing
All Scriptures taken from the NIV, copyright 2011 Photo from pixabay, edited by Jessica Faith 
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