God's Abundant Love: United in Christ

By: Ellie Wallace

“We have learned to know and to believe in the love that God has for us. God is love and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)

God’s love put in simple terms is universal but individual. Meaning that each person receives the love of God, however, we do not always see it the same way. We are all individual people and have different aspirations for our life, however, His love remains the same. We are all children of God and therefore we are blessed with an abundance of love which is one of the many ways we are united by Christ. In the verse when it says “we have learned to know and believe in the Love that God has for us” it implies that as we learn to understand God’s love and what it means for us, we are growing closer and closer to God. Similarly, when the Gospel of John states “whoever remains in love remains in God”, it touches on our involvement in the love of Christ. Now you may wonder what you are called to do with the love that God has given you, and the answer is fairly simple. As a child of God and a recipient of his Love, we are called to share the love that we are granted with the rest of the world. By doing so we are bringing those we love closer to God, and are able to change the lives of those around us one action at a time.

There are three main points that are essential to understanding God's love in your life:

1. Say YES to God!!

   As I explained in the passage above, when we allow God to bring his love into our life we are allowing His guidance to lead us on our path of faith. Life comes with many twists and turns, however, when we say yes to God we are displaying our trust in Him and the path he has crafted for us.

2. Surround yourself with those who will lead you closer to God and his love

   This one can sometimes be the hardest to put into action, however it is one of the most important. As followers of God, we must surround ourselves with people who will bring us closer to His love instead of leading us astray. God has a way of bringing us closer to Him, by revealing his love to us through our relationships. 

3. Bring your burdens to God

   There is nothing that God wants more than for us to surrender our burdens to him. When we take the distractions and things that trouble us and give them to God we can seek peace in the love that we receive back. The more that we give to God, the more love we will be able to take away and share with those that God has blessed us with.

For me, taking time to understand God’s love has allowed me to not only strengthen my relationship with God but to learn more about myself as a follower of Christ. Growing up in the environment of a Catholic education and being able to constantly surround myself with the love and mercy of Christ is something that I will forever be grateful for. Establishing a firm foundation of faith from a young age has shaped me into the person that I am today. However, I have not always been as close to the Lord as I am now. Last year I was introduced to an entire new side of my faith that I had never experienced before by becoming involved in the Youth Ministry program at my Parish. I was able to experience an immense amount of love from amazing individuals who are committed to helping me grow on my faith journey. Never does a day go by when I do not feel God’s love radiating from my genuine Christian friendships that God has blessed me with. By allowing God’s love to enter my heart when I need it most, I have formed a stronger connection with God and put myself right where I wish to be on my path of faith.