“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” – 1 John 4:7-9, NIV

There is a certain rush to giving someone a gift. Whether it be on a birthday, Christmas or another day of the year, watching someone’s reaction to pulling off the wrapping paper on a gift can bring joy to the gift giver as much as to the receiver.

As Christians, we have received the greatest gift we could ever imagine: the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus for our redemption. This is a gift we can never repay—but we are never expected to. All that is needed is our acceptance of this gift.

We can also show this same love toward others by telling them about our gift from God.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8, NIV

God’s love is incomparable. Romans 5:8 uses a powerful phrase, “while we were still sinners.” Even while we were following our own path and living for ourselves, He still loved us enough to send His own son to die so that He could show us his perfect love.

The well-known verse John 3:16 begins with “For God so loved the world” illustrating once again God’s immense love.

His love is free and ready to be embraced—a gift ready to be unwrapped and celebrated.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35, NIV

God has loved us so deeply and completely that Christ died for us, so we too can overflow with the gift of love toward God and others around us. There are many ways to show love to others in our words and actions.

Mark 12:30-31 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Love is so important to God that it is a consistent theme found throughout scripture. He wants us to love others deeply as we love ourselves. We can give others the gift of love and share God’s love, our ultimate joy.

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