Heartprints

3 Ways God’s Love is Different from Human Love

If you’ve stepped into the grocery store recently, more than likely you noticed large displays of chocolate, flowers, and conversation hearts—iconic symbols of love.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I got to thinking. We set aside a special day to celebrate romantic relationships, but how often do we celebrate God’s love for us?

At the very least, amidst all the celebration this month, I want my kids to realize at least three unique things about God’s love:

  1. God’s love for us is unconditional—God does not love us based on merit. We can never be good enough to earn God’s favor, nor can we ever be bad enough to diminish his love. He loved us first (1 John 4:19) and will never stop.
  2. God’s love for us is Sacrificial—God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die on our behalf (John 3:16). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God’s love is not focused on what he gets but on what he gives.
  3. God’s love is enduring—No matter what happens, nothing can separate us from God’s love. Paul tells fellow believers, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39).

Sarah is the author of Bathsheba’s Responsibility in Light of Narrative Analysis, contributor to Vindicating the Vixens, and contributing editor for The Evangelism Study Bible. Some of her previous ministry experiences have included teaching and mentoring of adults and children in a wide variety of settings. Her small claim to fame is that she has worked with children of every age range from birth through high school over the past 20 years. She and her husband Ben reside in Richardson, Texas with their four children.