The Root Beneath the Struggle

Devotional From The Sermon: Consistent Love

Rev. Dr. Bankole Akinbinu

Reading: 1 John 4:7-19

Devotional:

Many of the struggles we face – patterns of self-destruction, people-pleasing, anger, insecurity, and even addiction – are not simply behavioral problems. At the root of many of these struggles is a love problem. We do not fully know or believe how much God loves us, and so we reach for substitutes that promise to fill a void only His love can address. John makes clear that love originates in God, not in us. We love because He first loved us. Healing, then, is not primarily found in trying harder or behaving better. It is found in returning to the source; opening yourself to receive the love of God that casts out fear and fills every empty place.

Reflection:

• What void are you currently trying to fill with something other than God’s love?
• What would it look like to bring that need honestly before Him today?