We Love Because He Keeps on Loving Us

"We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4: 19)

AA does not talk about this extravagant love at all.

We, in our turn, sought the same escape with all the desperation of drowning men. What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God. A new life has been given us or, if you prefer, "a design for living "that really works. (AA, pg 28)

Some loving powerful hand of God. . .

Then, the Big Book writes:

The distinguished American psychologist, William James, in his book" Varieties of Religious Experience, "indicates a multitude of ways in which men have discovered God. 

So, does God deliver us, or do we discover Him?

These kind of confusing comments caused more problems for me than they solved.

The idea of how I was supposed to live my life, the idea that this was still my life to live, yet that I was turning my will and my live over to God as I understood Him.

All of this thinking, misunderstanding, and all the rest made it very difficult to do anything.

Then there was all this talk about loving others:

When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better?  (AA, 86)

What kind of life is this, a life of wondering if we were loving enough?

We can never love enough on our own.

We can never love when we have no idea what love is.

The Bible gives us the answer:

"10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)

He is the propitiation of our sins, and His love keeps on covering us, keeps on blessing us.

God is Love!

I cannot understand this, I cannot conceive of this. I either believe it, and grow in grace and knowledge of this Love, this grace, this goodness!

For this reason, Paul prayed:

"14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 14-19)

This love is not static, but dynamic, and growing.

We do not manufacture it. We receive it, we grow in understanding of how much he loves us.

When we understand the richness of His love for us, then we love others.

AA tells members "Go Love Others!"

What does that mean? What does that look like? What if that person "makes me mad" or hurts my feelings?

This same Big Book tells me that hurt feelings separate me from God, because "resentment is the number one offender."

So what ends up happening?

I stay away from other people, because I have to create this love for people, yet I find that I do not live anyone, anyway, because they make me mad.

Yet now I have to love people. . .

This cycle is deplorable.

The Cycle of Love starts with God, who sent His Son, and His Son died for us, that we may live in Him, and every aspect of our lives, His love covers for us, and causes us to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord:

"1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 1-3)

We start out born again perfected in Him, we grow to see how much He has perfected us, and then we in turn have the following:

"We love, because He first loved us. "(1 John 4: 19)

That "loved" will take us eternity and more to understand.