Day #3-Your First Love

"This is how we ought to know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."--1 John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son. That whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life."--John 3:16

Growing up I always heard the song, "Jesus Loves Me", but didn't really understand what it actually meant until I was much older. I went through elementary school and high school knowing that God loved me and He had a plan, and knew what I should do, but I didn't necessarily do it. I wasn't a "bad kid" by any means, but I didn't have a strong relationship with God like I do now. Most people drift away from their beliefs and their relationship with God when they go off to college. They start experiencing new things and somehow get caught up in the everyday life, forgetting what's truly important. The opposite was true for me. I started college and immediately began going to church by myself every Sunday morning. That lead to me getting involved in the college ministry at our church as well. Once I started going, I jumped in head first and haven't regretted it since. After learning how important a strong faith and relationship with God is, my life changed. I saw things in a different way...it really is true when the Bible says,

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."--Romans 12:2

I experienced a full-on "renewing of my mind" and it was such an exciting thing to experience. It's all been history from there. Sure, I have my times where I don't spend as much time reading the Word as I should...I don't spend enough time in church or at bible study, but one thing I do know to be true is that God's love never fails. We may experience heartache and other people may disappoint us (more than once) but it is HIS love that is constant. I know that His amazing grace has been poured out over me even when I don't deserve it. But that's why God is SO good. He loves us even when we fail. He has the true "agape" love for us.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. "--1 John 4: 7-12

See, God is in the business of love. That's what He does best. I strive each day to love others, even when it's hard because He loves me even when I am unlovable...