Responding to God’s love: Some thoughts

Note: I wrote the following reflective summary several years ago while training as a counsellor. It describes how I express my Christian worldview in my counselling practice. It was first published online last year. I combine my worldview with my values.

God is love, and we were created by love (Gn 1:27; Jn 1:1, 3; 1 Jn 4:8). So even at our worst, we are loved, loveable, and able to love.

First, we were loved — now we love (1 Jn 4:19). He loved us first and sent his son to clear up the damage sin does to our relationship with him (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 4:9–10, 14).

If God loved us like this, we ought to love him, one another, and ourselves in the same way (1 Jn 4: 7, 11). And that’s what we’re told to do (Dt 6:5; Lv 19:18; Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30; Lk 10:27; 1 Jn 3:11, 23; 4:21).

Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. He sends us like he sent his son — energised by his spirit, to give our lives for others (Jn 20:21–22; 1 Jn 3:16, 24, 4:13).