At first, this idea might sound surprising, because most people think life is all about what we do for others. Society tends to admire people who give, not those who take.
We’ve grown up thinking that our actions matter most, and it’s easy to feel disappointed when things don’t work out the way we hoped. We give our time to our families, our jobs, and our communities, and we often expect something in return. People usually believe that you must give before you can receive, and that getting something is a reward for what you’ve done.
But that’s not how it works with God. God gives to us first. In 1 John 4:10, it says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us.” The real game-changer isn’t how much we love God, but how much He loves us. Jesus didn’t come to tell us what we had to do; He came to save us. He gave His life so our sins could be forgiven. He offered us His perfect, sinless life so we could have the perfection we could never reach on our own.
At the same time, Jesus said in Acts 20:35, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” That’s true, too. But the point is, we can only give what we’ve already been given, and everything we have comes from God. God gives us His love so we can love Him back and show love to the people around us.
This is the best way to live. Life is about loving God and loving others. That’s why it’s so important to accept God’s love—so we can share it with others.
