God is Love
Experience the best kind of Love that no one can give to you except God.
No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
… And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:12-13, 16.
Reflect on the love you’ve experienced in various relationships: parental, friendship, or romantic. Now, consider the word “perfected,” meaning free from faults. Can you say that any of the love you’ve just thought of meets this criterion? Is it without personal bias or agenda? The closest analogy to God’s love might be parental love, but even that often comes with conditions and expectations. In many cultures, for instance, parents raise children expecting them to provide care in their old age. Every human relationship, every form of love we encounter, has its flaws.
Why?
Because humans are imperfect and inherently flawed. The only perfect form of love is God’s love. Without God’s Spirit, it’s impossible for love to be faultless (v.13).
Many who know me are aware of my journey to finding Jesus, and the transformation it brought about in me. Some old friends, unable to accept the changes in me, chose to distance themselves. The version of me they couldn't accept was happier, confident in my beliefs, and no longer a people-pleaser. To some, this was unsettling; they preferred the former, gloomier version of me, possibly because it made them feel more needed or superior.
Over time, I realized their affection was flawed. In the past, their approval mattered immensely to me, but after experiencing God's love, that need diminished. I didn't chase after their validation or fear losing their companionship. God's perfect love filled the voids in my heart, eliminating my dependency on superficial approval. I consistently felt God reassuring me, saying, “Hey! It’s okay, I love you and I got your back!” regardless of the circumstances.
God's love remains constant, even when I'm preoccupied with worldly matters or my career. Whenever I pause and reconnect through prayer, I find Him waiting. Sometimes, He may seem quiet, not because He's absent, but because we're too caught up in life to listen. But He is always there, His love forever abiding in us.