“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”  – 1 John 4:16

This time of year brings a celebration of the loved ones in our lives.  We reflect a bit more than usual on the meaning of love and we try to find ways to tell those we love how we feel about them.  There is a real focus on romantic love on Valentine’s Day, but I wish it weren’t that way.  This special day could be so much more… and has the potential to make anyone feel loved, regardless of whether or not there’s a man in their lives.

I get excited by what the Bible says in this verse – GOD is love.  Oh good, because if it depended on my efforts alone, I’m afraid Josh and the boys would NOT be feeling the love some days!  My kind of love often depends on my mood, how much sleep I got the night before, and whether or not there is chocolate in the house.  When my kind of love is unreliable, it is so good to know that there is a greater, deeper love that we can know and rely on.  And it seems that if I take a quick moment in my day to ask God for more of His kind of love in my life, the results are amazing – at the end of the day my kids feel happy and accepted, my husband is secure, and I am confident.

The famous “love” passage in   1 Corinthians 13 says love is patient, kind, keeps no record of wrongs, etc.  It’s great to know that God’s kind of love exists, that we can have it in our lives, and we can share it with others.

How can we get to know more about the love of God and rely on it in our lives?  The Bible is full of information about God’s character, His people and His love for us.  Open it up, take a few moments to read it, and get to know more about the source of love.  The book of John in the New Testament is a great place to start!

– Written for the Winter 2009 issue of Mom’s Moments.  www.momsmoments.ca/pdfs