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Read: 1 John 4:7-19
Listen: 1 John 4

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
God loved first. This is the core of biblical teaching. God creates people to love him, but then people rebel. God continues to show love to people, choosing the ancient Hebrews to be his representatives in the world. Then, as John 3:16 says, God’s love culminates by sending Jesus to rescue those who believe in him. It’s a rescue accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus. John walked and talked with Jesus. He witnesses the love of God in Jesus’s interactions with those around him, through the crucifixion and in conversations with the resurrected Jesus. John knows that God loved first. He was confident in God’s love, even referring to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 21:20-24).

Abiding in God’s love is foundational to the Christian life. If we get this backward, we’ll never feel confident and secure in our faith. Because of God’s love, we don’t have to fear. We don’t have to fear judgment, abandonment or rejection. The cross has reconciled us to God, and we are now part of his family. If we can find a way to anchor our life and identity in God’s love (like John did), we can live with incredible confidence and navigate whatever life brings us.

TODAY: Carefully consider where you are experiencing fears, insecurities or anxieties. In your journal or notes app, write two to three of those areas down. Below your list, write this simple prayer, “God, I trust your love and give these concerns to you. Help me to know I’m loved by you and live out of that love.”