What’s Love Got to Do with It?

Written By Betty Predmore

1 JOHN 4: 1-21

(December 4)

We've all heard the saying, "What's love got to do with it?" According to 1 John, love has everything to do with it.

Love is more than just a good feeling. It is more than a really, really good feeling. In scriptures we see the proof of the boundless, limitless love of God through the knowledge that he sent Christ to die for us. There is no greater love. And this wasn't done just so we could feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was done to motivate us to respond in the same way to those around us. Sometimes we do this in very practical ways. Other times it is very uncomfortable.

Love is responsive. We are able to love because God has and still does love us. Because of this love we receive from him; we are able to respond lovingly to those around us.

And because we have this love from God, we are to be on guard and not be naive to the false teaching that is around us. John tells us, "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits." He is saying that we shouldn't believe everything we hear just because someone says it (or because we read it on Facebook). If someone says they are teaching about God, there are many ways to test and see if what they are saying really comes from the word of God.

Do their words match scripture? What is their lifestyle like? How devoted are they to the body of believers? What fruits do you see from their ministry? Of all the tests, the most important one is what they teach about Jesus. Do they teach that he is fully God and fully Man? If not, WALK AWAY!

John goes on to continue his conversation about love and how we should feel compelled to love others because God loves us. And while we have not seen God, we can the expression of him through the love we have for each other.

When we have this love, we have no fear. Perfect love casts out all fear. But it has to be perfect love. You can't say "I love God," and in the next breath say you hate a fellow believer. That is not perfect love. If we can't love those which we can see, how do we expect to love that which is unseen?

So, what's love got to do with it? According to John, and according to scripture, EVERYTHING!

Betty Predmore

Betty Predmore is a writer, blogger, speaker and ministry leaders. She is the founder of Mom-Sense, Inc., a ministry designed for mentorship, connection and service to women of all life circumstances. Through this ministry, women are encouraged and supported with scripture and life application. Mom-Sense helps women overcome life struggles through small group classes with biblical curriculum, individual counseling, bible studies, and other areas of support.

Betty also directs the Imperial Valley Life Center, which is a non-profit faith-based pro life women’s resource center. She has a passion for saving the unborn and supporting mothers through pregnancy and motherhood.

Betty loves to speak at events, sharing the love of Jesus with other women. She does this through practical life application mingled with God’s word, and sprinkled with humor. Having experienced a broken home, divorce, abuse, grief, single motherhood, blended families, and adoption, she uses the broken places and movement of God in her own life to share His word in an inspiring way. She enjoys sharing her blogs on social media as a way of reaching out on a broader spectrum. Betty has many speaking topics which can be found on her website: www.bettypredmore.com

As an author, she has had the opportunity to impact women and reach deep into their hearts with her words of inspiration and encouragement. Through Pondering Virtue and Whispered Grace, she has created wonderful tools for the woman who is seeking direction in her spiritual walk.

Betty serves on the writing team of A Wife Like Me, and is also a contributor to Moms Encouraging Moms and Gift of Thorns. Her blogs have appeared in several magazine publications throughout the years including Southern Faith Magazine, Purposeful Life, and Aspiring Woman Magazine.

While Betty thrives on her ministry opportunities, her greatest blessings come from being a wife to Jim and a mama to their wonderful collection of children, who bring joy, laughter, and an occasional tear to her days.


Previous

The Preacher’s Wife
Next

The Counterfeit