One of the things I really like about faith is that God is the “first actor.”

What does that mean?  What that means is that everything starts with God.  He is the one that starts the ball in motion, He is the one that starts everything.

Creation started with Him.

The plan of salvation started with Him.

Everything started with Him.

Today, we read in 1 John, even the fact that we love God, and love other people, that started with God as well:

We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

We love, because we are first loved.  We love God, and others, because God first loved us. The love of God makes possible our love for everyone else in all our lives. He is the one that started it all. And it is all possible because He has first loved us.

And since God starts everything, the question is then asked. What is our response? Since it all begins with God, what are we to do next?  What is our response?

The text today says not only that God first loved us, but if we claim that we love God, but hate our neighbor, we really can’t love God.  How can we claim to love God, who is unseen, yet hate our neighbor, who we do see.

So, I believe, that this text teaches us that our love for God is seen in the way that we love each other.  I can talk all day long about how much I love God.  How faithful I am to God. How great God is in my life.

But, what is my life showing?  How much is my life saying that I love God?  What is my love for the people in my life saying about my love for God?

God has first loved us.  God has given us His love.  What is our response to that?  If God’s love is in us, we will love others.

Today, how are you loving?