Today’s scripture: 1 John 4:4-11 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
Before writing a Be Still meditation, I read the assigned scripture in three or four (sometimes more) translations in order to get a well-rounded idea of what thoughts and ideas the author is trying to convey. For this passage, the Amplified Bible translation was especially helpful. Verse 7 took on a meaning that I had not thought of before:
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].
As I attempt to better understand God, trying to fully grasp the concept of true love is a necessary step. Humans didn’t originate love; God did. I can no more fully understand exactly what God was thinking when coming up with the idea of love than I can personally know what Beethoven was thinking when he came up with ideas for his great orchestral works. In both cases, I can only appreciate the end result and try to understand or comprehend it from my own limited perspective.
So, what is love? A really good start to understanding it appears in I Corinthians 13: 4-8:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (NIV)
When examining this list of love’s components, I realize that I can outwardly show other people how much I exhibit parts of it (e.g., does not boast, is not easily angered, protects), but other parts must be performed privately within my own heart (e.g., does not envy, is not proud, always hopes).
God already has shown ultimate love (sending Jesus into the world for us). I certainly can’t out-do God’s greatest example of love, but what I can do is to continue giving my best personal attempts at love to both God and humans.
Thought for the day: God isn’t in a contest with humans for “Can You Top This Example of Love?” Instead, God is pleased with whatever the best genuine examples of love are that humans can offer.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.