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Because he first loved us (1 John 4:19)

Scripture of the Day: 1 John 4:19

 We love because he first loved us

 The other day as I was making dinner, my little man told me that God put love in my heart. It was out of the blue and just about the sweetest words I have ever heard! He was at the table and it made me cry over at the counter :).

 The words were particularly needed because I was having a rough emotional day and love toward everyone was NOT what I was feeling. A 3 year old changed my perspective (note - this happens frequently because out of the mouths of babes come some words that convict!!).

 He was right. God put love in my heart. And the reason that he did this is because he loves us. And thus we love. There is a Sunday School song with the lyrics:

 Oh, how I love Jesus
Oh, how I love Jesus
Oh, how I love Jesus 
because he first loved me.

 Friends, God put love in your heart. He didn't put it there so you would revel in it and be happy and content in your own little bubble. He put it there so you could share his love with others out of an overflow. He put it there so you would have the ability to put others first. So that you can be nice when you don't always feel it and so that you can move on from hurts - both big and small. He put love in your heart so you can more easily forgive - and ask for forgiveness yourself. 

 I almost feel that God put an overabundance of this love in little children. Their "love overflow" if you will, bubbles over to the adults lucky enough to have them in their lives. And out of that overflow, we adults are often reminded of the love that lives in our own hearts. We can have an overabundance of love too, it is after all, a fruit of the Spirit. We just have to remember that it is there - and not from us - but from the Lord. 

 Closing Prayer:

 Heavenly Father God, thank you for loving us and for setting your love in our hearts. Help us to love others better as an overflow of that love. You love us unconditionally and the ability to do that for others is in us as well. Because you love us, you sent your one and only Son. Don't let us forget that. Give us a desire to love others so that they can see your love through our works and words. Help us teach others that the reason we can love is simply because you love us. I ask these things in Jesus' Name. Amen. 

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