1 Jn 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. KJV
John, the Apostle of Love gives us a good description of love in this verse. It is something that we can apply to our own life as we try to incorporate the aspects of love from 1 Corinthians 13.
There is a major key here, that John also gives us in his gospel:
Jn 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,… KJV
Notice–love is not manifest because one first feels loved.
No.
Love is.
Period.
There are no conditions.
God loved us BEFORE we were capable of any kind of real love. All God got from us was animosity, doubt, or negligence. But He loved us. He showed that love to us by giving.
God loved the world (us) when it (we) were totally incapable of demonstrating love in any form. We were totally unworthy of that love. There was nothing that we did or could do to earn that love.
That is the beauty of ‘agape’ love. It just is.
Why do you love me?
Agape responds, “Because.”
There is no reason sufficient that will answer the question of “why?’. Agape is. Love is.
God is love.
We are in God, and we are in that love. And, we are to be that love to a lost and dying world.
Do we wait until someone does something that deserves our love? NO.
Love them now. Don’t wait.
How?
One of the aspects of love (1 Cor. 13) is kindness. So, for today, focus on kindness. Show (give) some kindness.
Make it your ambition to demonstrate a kindness to someone you do not know. Be on the lookout today to be kind to a stranger for no other reason than that you know that God loves them right now, just the way they are.
Then, come back here and tell us your experience.
Practical Bible Teaching 
God sending His own son to take our place is indeed the greatest gift of love imaginable. Jesus drank the cup of His own Father’s just wrath against sin.
LikeLike
An because God so loves us, His children in Christ, he rebukes, corrects and disciplines us. If we truly love eath other, we shluld also do the same in the context of one-one relationships, small groups, and in the church orgnization. We are unloving if we don’t.
LikeLike
“Be on the lookout today to be kind to a stranger for no other reason than that you know that God loves them right now, just the way they are.”
Dan I’m disappointed in you. Why did you not point out that you need to mention Jesus died for their sin in this encounter?
LikeLike
Dale – good words, btw.
Dan – I get it, you were showing kindness. duh.
LikeLike
Gee Bad, maybe I didn’t because the post was about the ‘giving nature of love, not specifically presenting the gospel message. Instead, I mentioned what was the greatest expression of love in human history.
LikeLike
Sometimes the whole understanding of why He loves me…because He is love…really throws me for a loop. I grew up having to earn my parents’ love. It was not freely given. I knew much angry, hurtful criticism in an effort to “perfect” me and make me pleasing to God. Very perverted theology.
When I read about His love it’s unimaginable — beyond comprehension. Thanks for this reminder, Dale.
How great a Father’s love for us,
So vast beyond all measure!
That He would give His only Son
For such a wretch, His treasure.
LikeLike
I think it also serves us well to remember what God ‘gave’ meant – that He sent his Son to die in our place as our substitute, and that Jesus drank the cup of His own Father’s wrath. It is so easy to glibly say ‘God gave His Son’ (I know you didn’t mean that Michelle) and not get close to the full meaning. It is indeed beyond human comprehension.
LikeLike
Dan do you mean the explicit, “God gave His son” is not enough for you? The full-meaning – is that implicit, or just explicit elsewhere?
LikeLike
I hope Dan understands your question, because i sure don’t.
LikeLike
Dale, It’s just a Bad dig at other things I have said in other places concerning what is in the plain reading of Biblical text and what is implied. Bad is trying that my articulating Christ’s dying as a substitute for us is merely implied.
LikeLike