“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” — 1 John 4:11 NIV
Reflection
God’s love is not a distant concept—it is a lived reality, poured out in blood, breathed into dust, and whispered into the ache of every soul. It is not earned, not measured, not withheld. It is the origin of our existence and the invitation to our becoming.
John’s words are tender yet weighty: “Since God so loved us…” The phrase carries a holy gravity. It’s not just that God loved us—it’s how He loved us. Extravagantly. Sacrificially. Unconditionally. That kind of love doesn’t just comfort—it compels.
We “ought” to love one another. Not out of obligation, but out of overflow. Divine love is not meant to be hoarded—it’s meant to echo. When we love others, we become living echoes of the heart of God. We become the hands that heal, the words that restore, the presence that reminds someone they are not forgotten.
Application
Loving others isn’t always easy. It asks us to forgive when it hurts, to serve when we’re tired, to see worth in those the world overlooks. But when we love from the reservoir of God’s love, we’re not drawing from our own strength—we’re drawing from eternity.
- – Who in my life needs to feel the echo of God’s love today?
- – Where have I withheld love out of fear, pride, or pain?
- – How can I become a living reminder of God’s grace?
Prayer
Father, thank You for loving me with a love that never fails. Let Your love reshape my heart, soften my edges, and overflow into every relationship. Teach me to love not just in word, but in action—with patience, kindness, and truth. May my life echo Your heart, and may others feel heaven’s embrace through me. Amen.