Internalizing God's Love for All People

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7).

If you’re a Christian and you exclude people based on particular sins—your pet issues—you struggle with taking in the love of God. You do. 

You say, “grace and mercy for me,“ around materialism, gossip, racism. Then turn around and say to another in some form or fashion, “law and judgement for you!” based on the sin issues you find abhorrent.

Pause and ask yourself: where do I turn up my nose, exclude or wince in disgust?

Oh, how far you are from internalizing the love God has for all people. 

And it starts with a deep misunderstanding of how much God loves you. 

You and I are the same, dear friend. I have my issues of over activism. You have your issues of hatred. Both are signs that we don’t get it. They’re signs that we struggle to receive the lavished love God the Father has poured out to us through the living, dying, rising work of Christ Jesus. Such unfathomable love! 

Tell God your lack of understanding. Tell Him it’s too much for you to get your head around. Tell Him you don’t yet get it. But you want to.