1 JohnНамуна

1 John 3:1 stops me in my tracks every time. If you’re reading in the NIV version, the word LAVISH describes God’s love towards us. Lavish. When was the last time you used that in a sentence? In the English language, it means elaborate, luxurious, extravagant, or very generous. I can remember hearing it used by an HGTV host to describe a fancy home (million-dollar listing, anyone?). Still, I think I can confidently say I’ve never used it to describe a relationship. And yet, the author of 1 John says, “what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.” Let that sink in. God, the Father, elaborately loves his kids and extravagantly loves YOU.

You may have noticed that most other Bible translations replace the word lavish with give. Kind of boring, right? Wrong! The same Greek word used here is used again in the infamous John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he GAVE his only son….” Can you BE any more lavish? (where are my Chandler fans at…)

The challenge? Receiving that kind of love. Like I shared earlier, I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced a relationship like this. And it requires effort to believe God loves me that much. But I often find myself putting all my energy towards not sinning (behavior) instead of intentionally choosing to receive his love (belief). Sometimes I wonder if I’ve got it backward, then verse 6 confirms my suspicions, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning.” When we truly receive the love of the Father, our desire changes from wanting to sin to wanting to be obedient.

Prayer Points

• Stop trying to fix your behavior, and instead, focus on believing God loves you. Spend some time writing down the ways He loves you. Thank him for being such a good Dad. And if you have some extra time, record any changes you might notice in your thoughts, feelings, or actions.