Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: When We Love, God is Present

1 John 4:7-8 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.

"Wherever love is, then God is present." I said this on the latest Practical Faith Academy podcast, inspired by guest Kim Sorrelle and her book, "Love Is." I just blurted that out, but I've been thinking about the phrase more and more since then.

The basis of this statement is 1 John 4:7-8, which states that God is love; hence, love comes from God. God is not only the author of love, but God resides in the love that people share between each other.

For our seven-day practical faith journey, I see three ramifications of this thought.

First, whenever we love, we bring God into the situation. Whether we're exhibiting love as we feel compassion, or we offer loving peace over strife, or we love to affirm someone else, God is present. We are both inspired by God and creating room for God in that situation.

So, if someone is difficult to love, or if we think they are unworthy of our love, we actually bring God to them by acting lovingly toward them.

Second, when we don't choose love, we show that we don't truly know God. That may sound weird, because we know so much about God, right? But if we truly knew God, we would choose love over other motivations and actions, so our ignorance of God is revealed when we stray from love. When we don't choose love, we are unknowingly trying to block God's involvement in the situation.

Third, watching for love is an evangelistic technique. Everyone has the capacity for love. When we see a non-believer who loves, we can point out they are actually doing a godly thing. We can help them realize that in their loving actions, they have connected to God. I believe this realization could be an avenue for further conversation and truth-seeking.

How would the world look to us when we realize that wherever love is present, then God is present also? How would it change the way we deal with others?

This "love edition" of the Practical Faith Academy podcast contains moving insights from charity executive and author Kim Sorrelle. Please check it out! Search on the major platforms for Practical Faith Academy, or find podcast links on the Free Content page of CecilTaylorMinistries .com.