PUPPY LOVE OR GODLY LOVE?

February 14, 2006

What kind of love are you giving to others on this Valentine's Day?

THINK ABOUT IT

WHICH ONE OF THESE DOGS WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO LOVE?

photos courtesy googleimages.com

TAKE A LOOK

1 John 4:7-11 - (NLT)

Loving One Another

⁷Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸But anyone who does not love does not know God--for God is love. ⁹God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM TODAY'S SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S LOVE AND GIVING THIS SAME KIND OF LOVE TO OTHERS?

Let's go back to the dogs. The puppy is easy to love. Sam, the "world's ugliest dog" is not! As you may remember, Sam died last fall, but not for a lack of love. His owner said that she was repulsed by Sam's appearance, but took him home from the dog shelter because she was sure that no one else could love this dog. I agree.

That illustrates God's unconditional love. His love for us is not based on how lovable we are! God loves us because He is love! God demonstrated this by sending His only Son to sacrifice His life on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus did this for us not because we're so easy to love, but because His love is the only way we can go Home with Him some day.

As Christ's followers, we are to love others the same way. God's love means that we choose to love others unconditionally and sacrificially. But action must follow intention. Let your love go to the "dogs".

Loving others with Godly love is impossible unless we rely on His Holy Spirit's power in us. God alone can help us let go of our selfish desires and give us the desire to be like Jesus Christ. Then we can love others like Jesus loves everyone.

That's not puppy love. That's real love. That's God's love.

TALK ABOUT IT

Take a few minutes to praise and thank God for His incredible, unconditional love for you. Give yourself time to listen to His Spirit.... Ask Jesus to help you love others even when they are not very lovable.

TRY IT

Use today's dog photos as a screen saver to help you remember how to love others with Godly love.
Ask Jesus to help you identify a "Sam" in your life. Ask Him to help you choose to act out Godly love to this person this week.
Write a Valentine note to God in your journal. Thank Him for loving you even when you are sort of like "Sam".
Memorize today's scripture. It will help you remember to be a loving "puppy" to all the "Sams" in your life.

ABOUT IT

DAILY DEVOS is brought to you by Youth for Christ. Youth for Christ works with young people on campus and in the community in over one hundred countries around the world so that they might have an opportunity to become a follower of Christ and be a part of a local church.

Byron Emmert Daily Devos is published Monday through Friday. Archives can be found at YFC.ORG. Its purpose is to help you apply truths from God's Word every day.

Our writer, Byron Emmert, has been involved with Youth For Christ for 30 years. He's served as Campus Life Staff, as a writer, and in leadership for the DCLA Conferences. Byron is married to Linda and their family includes two married sons and daughters-in-law, and a daughter in college. He loves sports, deep dish pizza, and spending time with his family.