Finding Love

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them… We love because he first loved us.” - 1 John 4:16, 19

We live in a culture that is obsessed with love - or at least, some version of it. We talk about falling in love, finding love, being crazy in love… it’s no wonder that the online dating industry brought in a whopping $602 million last year! And yet, most people still feel alone, unsatisfied, forever seeking “the one.” Why are so many people searching, and so few people finding? We are looking everywhere for answers, but most people are looking right past the real “One” who can satisfy our soul - our unconditionally loving God.

Leading a life of true love does not really makes sense if you are not a Follower of Jesus. Since God is the original Creator of Love, if we take Him out of the equation, we have no context for how to love other people well. The love that our world promises is empty, because it is self-seeking. We choose to love someone because of how they make US feel. God loves us with an unwavering, non-negotiable, everlasting love. Not because of who we are - but because of who He is! He also gives us the freedom to choose the same path by passing that agape love on to others. But let’s be real here – loving unconditionally can be difficult! As a Christian, we begin to understand that Love is a discipline through which we connect with others. To love well, we must know the Creator of love. Love does not always bring that immediate gratification of “swiping right” but it is a choice that will leave us looking more and more like Jesus. Love ~ Nina—

Thank you, Father, for being the definition and source of Love. I pray that You would give me a fresh revelation of the love You have for me. I am so grateful that Your love does not ask anything of me. Your love is patient and gentle with me. Your love is forgiving and merciful towards me. Teach me how to love others as You love me. Create in me the desire to live my life from a place of love. Help me to let go of any false versions of love that I have been chasing. Replace them with the desire to seek You first. Today, I embrace and receive all the love You have for me. Show me how to love others not by the world’s standards but by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen