More Than a Feeling: The Shockingly Practical Love of God.
We throw the word “love” around constantly. We love our family, we love pizza, we love a new movie. This can make it difficult to grasp the biblical concept of God’s love, which is so much more than a sentimental feeling or a fleeting emotion. God’s love (agape in Greek) is unconditional, sacrificial, and action-oriented. It’s a love that chooses, commits, and sacrifices regardless of the recipient’s worthiness.
This is the kind of love that can transform a life from the inside out. It’s a love that isn’t based on what you do, but on who God is.
The Definition of Real Love
The Bible doesn’t just say God loves; it defines what that love looks like by pointing us to a historical event.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” (1 John 3:16a, NIV)
The ultimate standard and definition of true love is the cross. Love is not primarily a emotion we feel, but a sacrifice we make for the good of another. God’s love is fundamentally self-giving, not self-seeking.
A Love That Chose You First
The most comforting aspect of God’s love is that it originated with Him, not with us. We don’t have to work to earn it or strive to keep it.
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NIV)
We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). His love is the source, and our love is the response. This means on days when you feel dry, distant, or unlovable, His love for you remains unchanged. It does not fluctuate based on your spiritual performance.
A Love That Nothing Can Break
Perhaps the most powerful declaration of the security we have in God’s love comes from the Apostle Paul. He makes a list of every possible force—both earthly and supernatural—that could try to separate us from God’s love.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, NIV)
Your bad day cannot break it. Your biggest failure cannot void it. Your deepest fear cannot overcome it. God’s love is a sealed, secure, and eternal reality for those in Christ Jesus.
A Prayer to Embrace His Love
Heavenly Father, your word says that you are love. Forgive me for defining love by the world’s standards instead of by the cross. Help me to understand the width, length, height, and depth of a love that chose me, sacrificed for me, and will never let me go. Let this truth sink from my head to my heart today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Question: How would your day be different if you lived with the unshakable conviction that you are completely and eternally loved by God?