1 John 4:18–21 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
A number of years ago I remember leading a song for Vacation Bible School several years in a row. It was based on 1 John 4:19. It had a simple melody and message, one that gets stuck in your head. I still find myself singing it in my head every time I read these verses. I tried to find a recording of it online to share with you, but it was not to be found. I did find that the lyrics were attributed to Ann F. Price and published in a song book entitled “Sing With Me.” Here is the entire song (there was a clap where each X is):
We love (X X) because God first loved us.
We love (X X) because God first loved us.
We love (X X) We love (X X)
We love (X X) because God first loved us.
When I think about it, that is a great message to have stuck in your head. What a wonderful reminder of the people we have been called to be. Why should I love my neighbor? Because God first love me. Why should I let that person go in line in front of me, even though they were rude and have too many items to be in the express lane? Because God first love me. Why should I not lose my temper when people getting on the highway ignore the YIELD sign and cut me off? Because God first love me. Why should I be willing to speak about my faith to others, especially those who have never heard about Jesus and His love? Because God first love me.iHHi
When you have experienced God’s love, you love Him. And John reminds us that if we love God we must love others, our brothers and sisters. We need remember to look at every single person we meet as someone for whom Jesus died on the cross. When He conquered death and the grave by rising on the third day, He did that for the entire world. That includes each person you will encounter in your life today. Remembering that, will you treat them differently?
