“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11-12)
If we could only say one thing about God – it would probably be “God is love”. I John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” God’s love is an unselfish choice for the highest good – and that is how God always chooses. Everything He does and says flows from His love and His purity, often called holiness.
On our own, we cannot love unselfishly. We all have a bent or tendency toward sin and selfishness from our very beginning.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes God’s love (and what our love needs to look like), “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
John 3:16 describes a love almost beyond our comprehension, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Reflection: God’s love amazes us and is difficult to even comprehend. Are we beginning to see the value of knowing this loving God more deeply, and learning to grow into His character by the power of the Holy Spirit?