God’s love lesson
“But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.” —1 Thessalonians 4:9 NLT
We are all birthed with the need to be loved. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, our innate necessity for belonging and love is only superseded by our need of sustenance and safety! We are all hardwired for receiving love and giving love. What happens when we don’t receive love? It affects our health by suppressing our immune system. We experience stress, anxiety, depression, feelings of abandonment. We feel lonely and isolated. Lack of love can have deadly consequences. That’s why the apostle, Paul, could state that he didn’t need to write to the people in Thessalonica about how important loving and being loved is.
What makes us feel loved?
We are seen. There is true seeing and false seeing. False seeing is the persona that we proctor and create in our social media (how old is that photo of ourselves that we posted and how photo shopped was it?!). Does someone see you — not your title or your fashion flare or your externals. Do they see you as a living, unique being?
The second thing that makes us feel loved is if we are known. Not in a fact-based, curriculum vitae, casual acquaintance way. Rather, others know us — our dreams, passions, quirks, talents, etc. They know the absolutely unique “me” that every individual on this earth is. They know the not so polished parts, the good and the bad, our human foibles. And it is okay.
Thirdly, we feel loved when we belong. We exist in a circle of inclusion where, not only are we a part of it, but it is incomplete without us. A place where, if we are absent, it matters and we are sought out and brought back into the circle. We have a village. We have a home. We belong. We are loved — deeply, truly, fully.
In our Bible verse for today, Paul concluded by stating that “God himself has taught us how to love one another.” To begin the lesson, Scripture tells us:
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” —1 John 4:7-8 NLT
God IS love. The universe is based on love. Our impetus to love is based on this universal truth.
“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” —Matthew 22:37-40 NLT
God asks us to love. In our love relationship with God, we learn what true love is. We learn we are loved because we are His. It’s not based on conditions of what we do or have or how we measure up. We then see ourselves as He sees us. Then we can love ourselves for the unique creations each of us are. We are then able to love others “as ourselves” which means that they ARE you — I existed because We exist.
Lastly, God showed us how to love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. —1 John 4:9 NLT
Love transforms its recipients! When you are loved, you love others. When you love others, they are transformed. Whether you are a student or patient, faculty or healthcare provider, employee or administrator, you can change lives by living Jesus’ life of love.
—Terry Swenson, DMin, is director of University Spiritual Care
