English

𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗢𝗗'𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗

𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. . . . 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴. 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰:𝟳–𝟴, 𝟭𝟬

Additional Reading: 𝟭 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟰‬:‭𝟭𝟳‬, ‭𝟭𝟵

𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧

When John wrote these words, he was not just using poetic language. He was making a profound statement about who God is. John does not say that God merely has love or shows love; he says God is love.

Love is not simply one of God’s attributes; it is the essence of His nature. And everything God does flows from who He is. God’s love is a self-giving, initiating love that seeks the good of others even at great cost. This is the kind of love God has shown us in Christ.

Since the fall of man, it has been God’s mission to save and redeem us. He sought Adam and Eve when they fell. He chose Abraham and entered into a covenant with him. Through Moses and the Law, He formed a people to be light to the nations. From that people, a Savior would come. God remained faithful despite humanity’s failure. And He ultimately revealed His faithfulness when love was nailed to the cross (1 John 4:10).

Love is this: a perfect God sending His beloved Son to save humanity. Love led to our redemption and reconciliation. This is why mission is not something we produce; it is something we have received through grace.

And as people who have received this love-led mission, our calling now begins not with strategy, but with participation in who God is. The more we encounter and receive God’s love, the more we are formed to reflect it to others. As John writes later in this same letter, “. . . as he is so also are we in this world . . . We love because he first loved us.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬, ‭19‬)

John’s text is clear: if we do not love, we do not know God. Love is not optional; it is the evidence that we truly know Him. When mission is devoid of love, it becomes noise rather than witness.

Love makes mission accessible. Not everyone can preach publicly, lead a mission trip, or serve in a visible ministry. But everyone can participate in seeking the lost, serving others, and reflecting God’s light. We can live this way because God’s nature is now forming us. Mission is not just something we do; it is a life we now live. And we love, because this is how the world comes to know our God.

𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗗

• How have you experienced God’s love—self-giving and sacrificial—in your own life and spiritual family? In what ways has receiving God’s love shaped how you see yourself and others?

• How does understanding love as the foundation of God’s mission change the way you serve Him? 

• Where might God be inviting you to participate in His mission simply by loving others more intentionally?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us first and for showing us who You are through Jesus. Help us to truly know You by receiving Your love and reflecting it to others. Shape our hearts to love as You love—freely, humbly, and sacrificially. Let our lives be a witness of Your love so the world may come to know You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

𝗛𝗬𝗠𝗡

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥” by Frederick M. Lehman

𝘖 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨

𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴’ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴’ 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨

𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦

𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷’𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘭

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷’𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦

𝘛𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦

𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘳𝘺

𝘕𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦

𝘛𝘩𝘰’ 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘬𝘺