1 John 4:7-20

Yesterday the National Football League launched the first night of the 2020 draft. For any desperate and deprived fan like myself, watching the draft was a true respite. If you tuned-in to watch any portion of the draft, you likely saw the moment when a young college player picked up his cellphone to receive the life-changing call. Without fail, the young man’s family jumps and screams while he covers the tears streaming down his face! It’s the moment when the head coach tells him, “Congratulations! You are chosen—you are one of us.”

It’s truly a remarkable moment. For the drafted player, the moment is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. For the coach, this moment is about welcoming– initiating the player into the team culture. It’s the first impression of the team’s values. In hearing these words, the player takes on the team’s identity– the team’s ethos. 

1 John 4 is God’s call to everyone that believes in God the Son, Jesus Christ. This passage sets the standard of our initiation into God’s family and ministry. In this passage, John writes that God’s prime value, the defining factor that describes His people, is love. We too are chosen and are initiated into God’s identity because of Jesus’s sacrificial love. Just as God demonstrates perfect love, we also are called to love. Because God first loves us, we are empowered to live victoriously, in love! 

When we take on love, we enjoy the sacred gift of God’s presence (1 John 4:16). When we take on love, we have confidence for all eternity (1 John 4:17). When we take on love, we find the answer to life’s mystery—becoming more like Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit. 

Living in God’s love—it far surpasses fulfilling any dream. Even those dreams of getting drafted into the NFL! 

Prayer

Father, I thank you for mercy and grace this day. I acknowledge that You are the first mover, the first lover of my soul. I thank You for the precious gift of Jesus Christ. I thank You for the true presence of the Holy Spirit. During these difficult days, help me to be a faithful servant. Help me to be creative in showing this world Your love. Amen.