| We love because he first loved us. |
| —from 1 John 4:19 |
In this day and age, we seem surrounded by hate. Politics, social concerns, families, workplaces—in one form or another—all seem divided by hate. And, hate is one of the most destructive forces in our world.
In contrast to what appears to becoming a hate-filled society, we believers have God-given love. The very essence of love is that it proceeds from the God of Love. Now, to be sure, our God of Love is also a Holy God, a Just God, and a Purposeful God. He has high standards, and He chooses those to belong to Himself who will represent Him well to a very needy world.
The Apostle John, very simply and straightforwardly, states the reality of the power of God’s love to defeat hatred in these few words found in 1 John 4:19-21:
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
The very reason that we “Christ’s-ones” display love in every circumstance—especially to our fellow believers—is because we have experienced first-hand the love of God in our daily lives. God has chosen to breathe His love into us, so that His love might flow out of us and touch the lives of those around us.
As we begin this new day, let’s understand the role we play in defeating hatred in all its forms. The defeat comes solely from the love that God has breathed into us. His love conquers hatred. We become instruments of His mercy, grace, and unfailing love because He has first loved us.
