We love because he first loved us. —1 John 4:19.
John wants us to realize that our love doesn’t originate in us. We love others because God has first loved us in Jesus. Oh yes, God has loved us in many other ways, but loving us in Jesus is the ultimate love. Our Heavenly Father taught us how to love by sending Jesus. Our Abba Father has given us security and confidence with his love for us so that we can love others more fully, with greater openness. Our Holy and Almighty God has loved us boldly and sacrificially so that we can more fully understand and define true love. We are not the source of love: God is. We are not the great example of love: Jesus is. We tend to be careful and share our love only with those we feel safe to share it with; God’s love, however, is expansive and open to all. We know and share love because God loved us first. And because he loved us, we must love others.