Verse of the Week...

‘…God is love.’ --1 John 4:8b



At this point, if you watch any TV at all, you’ve probably seen the Blackberry advertisement above or at least some form of it (if you haven’t, click the link!). I don’t know about you, but I love it. I love the hopeful and heartwarming message it conveys, that nothing is impossible, that anyone is capable of greatness, of overcoming odds, of fulfilling their purpose—all we need is love. And I couldn’t agree more.

I believe we’re capable of much. I believe we can offer much. And I believe we can change much. But not because of us really, more because of love. Check out 1 John 4:8b. ‘…God is love.’ I used to think this merely meant God was a loving God, full of love, One characterized by that crazy little thing. But the best way to look at this verse is at face value: God is love, in the most literal sense. So wherever true love (there is counterfeit love) is found, God is there, because He is love. Applying this truth to the John Lennon-penned song, then, would make it sing: ‘All you need is God. All you need is God. All you need is God, God. God is all you need.’

It all comes together, does it not? ‘There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.’ And that’s because of the underlying premise: simply, all you need is God. With Him, nothing is beyond achievement, nothing is outside our reach. The converse, however, is also true. Without Him, we’ll struggle to do just about anything. Jesus, in the Gospel of John, puts it a bit more bluntly:

5I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. --John 15:5

 It’s straight and to the point. There is opportunity for change—change for the better. Better relationships. A better life. A better world.

All we need is love.

All we need is God.


Grace to you,

Voice of another