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Love First

Have you heard of the Civil War wives? Julia Grant and Varina Davis are the Civil War Wives. Varina was married to Jefferson Davis, head of the Confederacy. Julia was married to Ulysses Grant, head of the Union. These two fought against each other in the Civil War. Yet when both men died, their widows ended up moving closer to each other. Not only did their children become friends, but so did they. We are living in times where people are divided. We are seeing racism again and again in our nation. Yet what our nation truly needs in times of hate and division is love. 

We need to get our hearts to loving first. Love God first and foremost with all your heart. Second, before preaching or teaching to our friends about anything, we need to love them first. Lastly, we need to love our church. 

When we choose to love first versus choosing negativity, hate, and division, powerful things can happen in our personal lives and in the lives of others.

The apostle John teaches us this. He takes us back to his journey with Jesus and lays a foundation for the church. A foundation of truth and love.

Loving God first and foremost is the first step towards loving first. God equals love. He sent His son to die for us. The love God has for us does not compare to any other love you will experience. It’s a love that impacts and transforms. When we choose to love God first, we are capable of loving others even when it may seem hard to do so. God changes our hearts with love. He has the power of changing hearts and drawing others together just as the Civil War wives did. God can do great things.

We are a reflection of God’s love when we choose to love our friends. Many times we want to preach to them or change them. But what about if we just showed love to them? A friend would be more receptive to advice or building trust if we loved them first. Showing love is a great start to sharing Christ with others. That is our greatest commandment, to love our neighbors. 

Lastly, if you partake of a church every Sunday leaving full and blessed, that then allows you to bless your home and family, it is important that your heart begins to love your church. Loving your church is not only by attendance but by serving. Serve, bless, and love your church the same way it does your life.

Begin the week by loving first. Love God, your friends, and your church.