We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
As I child I endured sexual, physical, and emotional abuse from multiple family members and others until I left home at age 18. The experiences left me with a distorted view of love and sex. To me, love meant power, control, and pain. In my mind, there was no distinction between love and sex. However, I also knew Jesus as my friend from a very young age. His presence gave me hope, but also confused me. How could He love someone like me? I didn’t understand the kind of love I heard about in Sunday school until years later when someone demonstrated unconditional love to me.
Without understanding the unconditional love of Jesus Christ, we cannot fully comprehend love. He showed us what love can do. Love that transcends our human understanding comes only from the Father through His Son. Love like this transforms our perspective of everything and everyone we encounter. We see the world and ourselves differently when we are touched by the unconditional love of the Lord.
Reflection
Have you experience unconditional love? Describe the experience in the comments.
