by Elizabeth Haarberg

God’s love never takes a backseat.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I’m reading an old Russian fiction book by Fyodor Dostoevsky titled ”The Brothers Karamazov’.

In the book, the wise Monk is addressing a woman who is struggling with loving her fellow man. He tells her active love is the cure.

“By the experience of active love. Strive to love your neighbor actively and indefatigably. In as far as you advance in love you will grow surer of the reality of God and of the immortality of your soul. If you attain to perfect self-forgetfulness in the love of your neighbor, then you will believe without doubt, and no doubt can possibly enter your soul. This has been tried. This is certain.”

How do we learn to love actively, though? God is love. He is loving us actively, constantly. When we surrender to His love and receive His love, we repeat the process here on Earth that is mastered in the Heavenly realm.

“He who does not love has not become acquainted with God, for God is love.” 
1 John 4:8

God has loved from the beginning of time. The Earth was created by a whirlwind of His voice and love for us. Creating an environment that we not only would eat, drink and breath but be taken aback by the beauty created for our enjoyment.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

This is such a common verse, we repeat it with no emotion. This is the core of God’s love for humanity. He gave so we would receive. And keep receiving. With that life He is giving us daily we are called to go out and love the next person. The circle never stops. If it does it’s only because we caused a pause in action.

God is still in the business of creating and solving problems for us because He loves us.

He wants to draw close to us and us to Him in a circle of active Love.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado