Love must first be received before it can be given. Let me illustrate. John and Mary are born-again Christians. Seldom do you find such dedicated church members. They pour their energies into their service. But they serve more out of duty than out of love. They have failed to grasp God’s unconditional love – that it does not depend on their performance. They’ve not fully learned how to draw on God’s love.
How true! We cannot give what we do not have. That’s why we must learn to take freely of God’s forgiveness provided through Christ’s death for us. Our justification (Romans 5:1) and status as God’s adopted children (Ephesians 1:5) are blessed realities to be enjoyed. They nurture a right kind of self-worth founded on God’s grace. Therefore, we don’t have to prove our worth by putting ourselves under rigid standards of performance. God neither loves us more when we serve Him nor less when we fail Him – though sin does grieve His heart and faithfulness pleases Him, God loves us because God is love!
We must become vulnerable to others in the body of Christ, so that He can encourage us with His love through them. We must learn to be receivers. But isn’t that being self-indulgent? Not at all! When we truly feel loved by God, we’ll want to express our love to Him and to others. Loving service becomes our desire. And this completes the circle of 1 John 4:11 – a circle of receiving and giving love, without which we cannot serve God. – Dennis J. De Haan
Lord, teach us the secret of loving,
The love You are asking today;
Then help us to love one another;
For this we most earnestly pray. – Anon.
It takes an adequate experience of love to prepare us for an adequate expression of love.
- January 18, 1988, Our Daily Bread
For You 