"I Love My Poppa"

      A few weeks ago during Bible class, my young students and I were discussing how God made our families and how God loves everyone in our families.  Little children love to call by name all the people they know that God loves.  Naturally it is the same list of people that they have learned to love.  It is very heartwarming to hear these young children name all the members of their family.  Children at this age are like little sponges.  Their minds are so alert and soak in so much knowledge at this age. It is so uplifting to understand how much these young ones have already learned about love.  It get a good feeling knowing that these children are from such loving Christian families.  How wonderful to think that they will grow up to share God's love and bring their own special lights to the world!! 
     One student was naming all his family members:  Momma, Daddy, big brother, big sister, Poppa -- and when he got to Poppa, he stopped and said, "I love my Poppa.  He takes me hunting."  As that sweet young child said that, I instantly thought of I John 4:19 --"We love Him because He first loved us."  Little did he know it - but my young student was expressing almost the exact same sentiment.  It was a great illustration for me.  Why did this young man love his poppa?  Because Poppa took him hunting.  But his Poppa took him hunting because he loved his grandson.  We love God because of all the blessing He bestows upon us -- most of all the blessing of His Son's sacrifice for our sins.  Why did God send Jesus to save us in this manner?  Because He first loved us.  See -- or was I rambling? 
      God loved us, so He sent His Son to die for our sins.  As we read and study the Bible we come to understand that Christ gave Himself for us because of His love for us.  So we love Him because He did that.  But He did that because He loved us.  It seems like some wonderful unending circle.  Wonderful!!  God is so good. 
      Consider a few more scriptures which show us God's great love for us:
      Romans 5:8 - "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet
          sinners, Christ died for us."
      Ephesians 2:4-5:  "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He
          loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
         (by grace are ye saved;)"
      I John 3:1 - "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we 
          should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it
          knew Him not." 
      I John 4:16 - "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us, God is love;
          and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him."
     The scriptures make it very clear that God loves us.  It is also clear just how that love was manifested -- through the precious price of Christ's blood. 
     Love does not come naturally, except to God; for John says that God is love. However, for us love is a learned behavior.  We learn to love our parents - why?  Because they love us -- how do we know that?  Because they take care of us.  As we grow - our world of love grows to include siblings, grandparents, and other family members.  It is not long before we also learn to love friends.  We still have to learn this behavior.  Love is not an emotion.  It is action -- it is a show of devotion.  Love means giving, serving - doing something for the one you love or acting in that person's best interest - even when you don't feel like it - even when it means foregoing something for yourself. 
       How do we teach this?  Children are learning to love when they learn to share and take turns.  They are learning to love when they are being taught to say "please" and "thank you" or "ma'am" and "sir."  I could go on and on, but you get the point.  We are still learning to love even when we are young married couples - for the older women are exhorted to teach the younger women to love their husbands and husbands are taught to love their wives as Christ loved the church.  The learning continues as we become parents.  God's word gives us guidance and instruction even in this.  Mothers are taught to be chaste and keepers at home; we also have the example of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31.  Fathers are told not to provoke their children to wrath.  And we all are instructed to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  I'm not citing scripture references here.  We are all familiar with these passages.  Most of us know where to turn in God's word to read these instructions. 
      The learning process continues as long as we live.  We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves and to provoke one another to love and good works.  And there are many, many scriptures which teach us how to show our love for God.
      One of my Dad's favorite scriptures (it is probably a favorite of many) is Romans 12:1-2. 
I think this passage is a perfect example of what to do show our love for God.  "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may able to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."   OK -- to put it quite simply -- If Christ died for us, how can we help but live for Him?
     My friends - keep God's love alive by living for Him. 
     And please keep on learning about love and loving to learn.  

Christ above all things,
Robin