As we enter the month of February, that as believers, we need to pause and return to one of the foundational truths of our faith—the love of God. Understanding God’s love is essential to our relationship with Him, and it shapes how we live, grow, and witness to others.
I would like to encourage you to take time this month to read and meditate on 1 John 4:16–19. These verses are truly God’s love letters to us, assuring us of His abiding presence and unfailing care. Look at verse 19 below:
1 John 4:19 (NKJV)
19 “We love Him because He first loved us.”
This verse reminds us that love does not begin with our efforts toward God; it begins with His heart toward us. Everything in our lives flows from knowing that God loves us—fully, personally, and unconditionally—through Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God did not wait for us to change before He loved us. His love reached us while we were still sinners and made a way for restoration and new life in Christ.
This is AGAPE LOVE—God’s deep, selfless, unconditional love. It is the highest form of love, a love that saves, heals, restores, and transforms us from the inside out.
As I shared with you in the December newsletter, Jesus came to reveal the Father’s love. He came to bring peace, hope, and salvation. Heaven touched the earth in the person of Jesus Christ, showing us exactly what God is like.
It is vital as believers that we continue to grow in our understanding of this love.
God’s love provides stability in uncertain times, correction when we go mess up, and assurance when we struggle. When we know we are truly loved, we are better equipped to trust God, obey His Word, and walk in the freedom Christ has provided. God’s love was never meant to stop with us.
Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
The apostle Paul tells us to walk in love as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us. Walking in love is a daily and intentional choice. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to shape our responses, attitudes, and actions—especially in challenging situations.
Walking in God’s love is not just a feeling—it is a daily choice and a way of life. We are called to “walk in love, as Christ also has loved us”. We are able to love because God first loved us, freely and unconditionally, through Jesus Christ.
John 13:35 (NKJV)
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another.”
Jesus said that love would be the identifying mark of His followers. Each day, we are given opportunities to reflect God’s love—in our words, our attitudes, and our actions. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, He empowers us to walk in love and reveal God’s heart to those around us – to those who are watching us.
Our love for one another reflects the work of Christ within us and serves as a powerful witness to the world around us.
We all must learn to allow the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit to teach us more deeply about His love so that we can learn to become more firmly “rooted and grounded in love”.
Ephesians 3:17–19 (NKJV)
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
As believers, walking in love begins with receiving God’s love for ourselves. When we truly understand that we are forgiven, accepted, and cherished by the Father, our hearts are free to extend that same love to others. God’s love is patient, kind, and selfless, and it seeks the good of those around us (1 Corinthians 13:4–7). I like the way these verses are written in the New Living Translation (NLT).
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NLT)
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
As we continue walking together as the family of God, may His love be both our foundation and our testimony. Take time each day to thank your Heavenly Father for His great love toward you. Learn to receive His love more fully and to walk in it faithfully.