I'm speaking on 1 John 4 this next Sunday. This is one of my favorite passages in scripture because it talks about how God is love. It's crazy to me how hard it is for me to write this talk. I love this part of scripture, but the more I think about it, the more I don't even know where to begin.
I think that most of my talks center around love. How important it is and how we need to make it a part of our lives. I have this idea about how to convey this message to students, but after a while, it seems like they tune you out. If only because they've heard it a hundred times. They might have, so why talk about it again.
Then I came across this part in a concordance I was reading...In 1 John 4, it opens with the phrase, "dear friends." That phrase is continually used throughout this chapter. I read that the phrase, "dear friends," simply means "beloved."
What a powerful word. According to Merriam-Webster, beloved means "dearly loved, dear to the heart."
When John was writing the chapter, he wants us to know that we are dear to his heart. John doesn't know me. He's in heaven right now, and probably knows I'm talking about him. He and Jesus are pretty tight, I'm sure. But there is no way that he knew that that phrase, "beloved" would be such a heart warming word.
God does not desire for us to be bored by his Word. He wants us to have joy every time we read it. I try so hard to make sure that His Word comes alive for me...every time I read it. Sometimes though, it just doesn't happen.
Today though, I read 1 John 4 in a new way. Instead of "dear friends," I see "beloved."
Remember that you are His Beloved.
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