“We love because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 (NIV)
Love can be absolutely exhausting. The kind of love that really makes a difference in this world can zap everything out of you.
Sometimes you just don’t feel like you have any more love to give. Maybe you need to show love to a particular person who is demanding, selfish, and never returns your love. And you just think to yourself, “I’m done. No more.”
While that’s perfectly natural and perfectly human, it’s not the standard of love God calls us to. The Bible says, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Cor. 13:7 NLT). Love never gives up.
How can you have that kind of persistent love for another person? By getting refuelled.
To give the kind of persistent love that God wants you to give, you have to refuel your love tank. Look around at society, and you’ll see that it’s littered with debris from relationships that have crashed and burned because people didn’t refuel their love.
How do you refuel your love tank? You start by letting God love you. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV).
When you’re worn out, tired, and can’t imagine showing love to anyone else, remember that God loved you so much that he sent his Son to die for you.
Now that is real fueling. That’s what keeps you going when you want to quit.
Father, help me to keep loving and never give up IJN.
Shalom!