Day 4: Lavished, Not Earned
Reading: 1 John 3:1 and 1 John 4:9-11
Devotional: The word lavished in 1 John 3:1 is not a quiet word. It describes something poured out in abundance, beyond what was expected or deserved. God did not portion out a careful, calculated amount of love in your direction. He lavished it. And 1 John 4:10 makes the direction of that love unmistakably clear — it originated with him, not with you. You did not love first. You did not initiate. You were the recipient of a love that moved toward you when you were still moving away. This is the model for how the church is called to love the world around it — lavishly, initiating, and without condition.
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you treat God's love as something you must earn rather than something you have already received?
Application: Find one person in your life who seems difficult to love. Pray specifically for them today, and ask God to give you even a small measure of the lavish love he has shown toward you.
Devotional: The word lavished in 1 John 3:1 is not a quiet word. It describes something poured out in abundance, beyond what was expected or deserved. God did not portion out a careful, calculated amount of love in your direction. He lavished it. And 1 John 4:10 makes the direction of that love unmistakably clear — it originated with him, not with you. You did not love first. You did not initiate. You were the recipient of a love that moved toward you when you were still moving away. This is the model for how the church is called to love the world around it — lavishly, initiating, and without condition.
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you treat God's love as something you must earn rather than something you have already received?
Application: Find one person in your life who seems difficult to love. Pray specifically for them today, and ask God to give you even a small measure of the lavish love he has shown toward you.