Remember who first loved you

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. - 1 John 4:15-21 NASU

In most human nature, love is the love of return on an investment. The greater the return, the greater the love. We love the most obedient child. We love the friend who is most like us. We love the church that most aligns with our beliefs. And we think we love well!

But when we come across someone who is not easy to love. Someone who is not in alinement with us. Someone who doesn’t stroke our pride. Then our love runs dry. And God allows this to show love is not natural to the fallen human nature. And if we are truly going to love one another, we must conclude that we can only love someone because God first loved us. Love without strings, is the God kind of love.

Perfect love is love without fear of punishment. Have you received that kind of love from God? Can you give that kind of love to your family? Or do you want them to fear punishment for embarrassment, disappointment, or disobedience? Can you give this love to your Christian brothers and sisters? Or do you want them to fear vengeance because something they said or did was offensive? Perfect love prays, Father, forgive them for they do not know what they did.

Then, as Jesus did, he calls for Peter in hopes of reconciliation. And as Jesus did, he helped Peter save face without telling him I told you so but asks for validation of shared love moving forward.