Full expression - let it rip

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. (I John 4:11-12 NLT)

Full expression of God's love through us. Isn't it amazing that the unseen God can be 'seen' through the actions of love that exist in our lives? God lives in us - those words ought to make us sit up and take notice of our behavior, shouldn't they? If we would stop for just a moment before we acted or responded, considering that he resides in our hearts, we might just respond a bit differently! His love is BROUGHT to full expression in us - when we love one another, we are bringing others into his presence. 

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. (vs. 13-16)

We have the Spirit of God - given to us as proof that we live in him and he lives in us. There should be absolutely no doubt in our minds that we are his children because we have been filled with his Spirit. That gives us 'wholeness' of a sort, doesn't it? We are 'proof seekers', aren't we? We want to know with a certainty that something has happened - not just 'trust blindly' that it has. God cares so much about our need to 'know' that he sent his Spirit as evidence that this relationship not only exists between us and him, but that it is SOLID.

We might not always 'feel', but we can 'know' with a certainty that we are children of the Most High God. We have been given much in the sacrificial death of Christ. He promised his disciples that even though he would soon be leaving this physical earth in his physical form, he would send his Spirit to reside within us, empowering us and keeping us close to him. We have the POWER to love one another, even when we don't always see or feel love around us. Jesus didn't get 'warm fuzzies' everywhere he went, but he still exuded love in his words and actions. 

We may not always 'feel' loving, but if Christ lives in us, we are empowered to love like he loves us. If we were to begin to tap into that power that resides within each of us who are his children, perhaps we might just act a little differently toward one another. Just sayin!