We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19
One of the most disempowering things you can do is to focus on your “not enough.”
Am I doing enough? Do I volunteer enough? Do I give enough? Help my kids enough? Make my spouse happy enough? Please God enough? This line of thinking is so depressing and demotivating because the answer will always be, “No!”
Of course you could be doing more. No matter how much you’re doing, you can always find someone who is doing more in one area or another. When you compare yourself to others this way, you can’t win…because it’s entirely the wrong focus. It’s a me focus instead of a Jesus focus.
If you want to be the best version of yourself, focus on Jesus’s love and provision for you! Don’t focus on your lack; focus on what he’s done and all he’s provided! And as the verse today teaches, your love for him will grow as you realize that he loved you first.
Peter walking on the water is a good example of how empowering this focus is. As long as Peter stayed focused on Jesus, he stayed on top. But as soon as he got his eyes off of Jesus and began to focus on the storm, things went downhill. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus!
Now, you may be thinking, “That was easy for Peter. Jesus was right there in front of him! How can I keep my eyes on Jesus?” Good question! Keep reminding yourself of who he is and what he’s done by meditating on his promises in the Bible.
It’s amazing what happens when you focus on Jesus. The more you discover how much he loves you, the more your love for him grows.