Series: Renewal
I John 4:19 ESV
I John 4:13-18 ESV
We all have people who come into our lives (hopefully) who model God’s love and help us to realize what love is all about.
In I John 4:19 we are told, “We love because he first loved us.” We love because Jesus loves us.
Love, especially God’s love is not an easy concept to teach to a child. We cannot see God. We teach children in Sunday School and church that Jesus loves them. Young children have not learned to identify and feel the Spirit of God.
So…how do we teach a child about perfect love?
While it may not be the case for everyone, when the child has a good role model who loves them when they are young they can begin to understand the concept of love.
Having parents who love and show love to their children gives them a good start in life.
If the child has a grandparent they have a strong connection with, that certainly will have a lasting impact on the child.
My paternal grandfather taught me about life and love.
My grandparents owned a corner store for decades and my grandfather was the butcher. Grandma mostly ran the store while he did all of the behind the scenes work.
Grandpa was a cheerful funny fellow who always had a twinkle in his eyes and a pleasant smile on his face. While I remember his countenance, I mostly remember his love. I was his fourth grandchild and the second girl born into the family. The thing is, I don’t ever remember Grandpa thinking of me as being one of the younger grandchildren.
What I remember is that he treated me like I was special.
I remember his laughter. He made eye contact when he spoke to me. I always felt like I was important to him.
I felt like I mattered.
I knew he loved me.
What’s miraculous about that is that he suddenly died not long after I turned twelve.
I remember the day he died like it was yesterday. It was sudden and unexpected. I remember missing him. I remember crying.
For months and even years after I grieved when I missed him.
That’s how love goes.
That was my first experience of losing someone I loved dearly.
Even without thinking about it, Grandpa modeled God’s love for me.
I knew he loved me. I knew I was important. Even today I know the love he showed me is still in my heart.
So, when we think about how to teach a child about God’s love there is a key…when a child has been loved they understand love. When we are loved, we know how to love.
Because I lost someone I loved but their love remained in me long after he was physically gone, I understood that love remained.
And so it is with God. As a child I had not seen God, but the love of God was modeled to me through others who loved God. They were instruments of love in my life. I knew Jesus loved me because they modeled God’s love. Because of their love I trusted and believed that God (Jesus) loves me.
I John 4:13-18 we read, “By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
As we mature in the faith (which can happen at any age) we learn about the Spirit of God. We learn that Jesus (God) walked on the earth and the Spirit of God was sent to earth. Some can remember exactly when they were aware the Spirit was with them while some of us do not remember exactly when we were aware the Spirit abided in us. The first time I realized the strength and power of the Spirit of God resided in me was when I went to a Billy Graham Crusade in Kansas City, Missouri. I believed in Jesus. I had believed for as long as I could remember because I grew up being taught about God’s love at home and at church. But that night I felt like a transport truck went through me. From that day to this day, many many decades later the Spirit is still strong with me.
Because of the Spirit in me, I knew God loved me. Since I was a child God has been perfecting love in me through the Spirit. When I am afraid, I rely on God in me to cast out my fear.
God has never failed me.
Even in my darkest hours, God stood by me and carried me.
There have been times when the Spirit even sent people to stand by me because I was weak and uncertain about what tomorrow would bring.
On this day…as I remember those who modeled love for me, I am ever so grateful that God’s love flowing through them gives me strength.
Spiritual Practice: Your Life
Who were (are) your instruments of love?
In God, Deborah