“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” 1 John 4:16 NLT
The most amazing and hard-to-believe aspect of the God story is that this amazing King of the universe loves humanity. He loves all of humanity. But, even more amazing. He loves us as individuals. He loves you and He loves me. It’s a concept I am still struggling to apply to my life. What about you? How deeply have you contemplated His love for you?
God loves you because of who He is. The first letter of John declares that God IS love. He loves because it is His character to love. That can be difficult to remember when reading some of the judgements in the Old Testament! Remembering that God’s character is love raises the question of why hard things happen. “If God really is love, why did He allow this to happen to me?”
The questions don’t negate the truth. God is love. Yet, He allows tragedy and difficult consequences. He doesn’t fix everything in our broken world. Sometimes life is confusing. But when I remember that God is love and that He loves me, I can focus on that love and let the questions rest. Relying on and trusting in His love brings peace. I may not understand, but I can choose to let go when I believe God loves me.
God loves you regardless of what you do. God doesn’t reject people who make mistakes. He doesn’t write you off when you mess up. His loves doesn’t change based on your behavior. That scolding voice you hear in your head is NOT God. It may be the memory of a scolding adult in your childhood, but it is not Your Heavenly Father.
When you and I make foolish and selfish choices, God does not dismiss us in disappointment. He doesn’t reject you because of your imperfections. He reaches out to lift you up and help you make the corrections or to help you walk through the consequences. He loves you and I enough to help us learn from our mistakes.
I have realized that making a mistake is one of my greatest fears. Some of that was born into me. My mother has told me she heard me practicing words in my crib before I said them in public. I have an in-born desire for excellence. But there is a line between aiming for excellence and avoiding mistakes at all costs. I’ve realized a mistaken belief that a mistake meant I should be rejected. Becoming aware of that has brought freedom.
Perhaps people may reject me if I mess up, but God never will. I still need to fight the wrong thinking, but it doesn’t control me anymore. If any of that resonates with you, I hope awareness brings you freedom.
God loves you right now. You don’t have to earn it. Knowing that and living it out are two different things. Do you still feel like you have to clean up your act to be worthy of God’s love? You may believe He forgives your mistakes and that His character is love. But that kind of love deserves a response, right? To be worthy of One who loves generously and perfectly means I have to be perfect, right? No.
I have often found myself trying to be perfect. I havewanted to live a perfect Christian life, to be a perfect wife or mother or minister. You and I know that perfection is an unreachable goal, so why do we reach for it? My inborn desire for excellence became a driver toward perfection and that perfectionism motivated a need to eliminate mistakes that could lead to rejection. But striving toward perfection was also a way to try to be worthy of God’s perfection. But that isn’t possible, is it?
The road to recovery from perfectionism is a long one. But here is what I have come to understand: The quality of God’s love is not based on the quality of my life. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NIV
Jesus was born to die for unworthy people because of God’s love. It’s a simple and often-stated truth that none of us fully comprehend. Freedom comes when I understand that I can’t understand and that I don’t have to earn it.
Dear Friend, do you truly believe God loves you? What might change in your life if you lived from a place of knowing you are unconditionally loved by Your Heavenly Father?
I am still working toward absorbing that truth and living it out. I want to fully rely on and trust in God’s love for me. Will you join me in that pursuit?
May you fully experience the blessing of His love for you.
Key Question: How would the coming year be different if you put your trust in God’s love for you?
A Scripture to Consider: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” 1 John 4:16 NLT
A YES Challenge: List several ways God has demonstrated His love for you personally. What is one way you can demonstrate your trust in His love for you?
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your love for me. I know that You love me, but sometimes it’s hard to imagine just how personal Your love is. You sent Your Son for the world because love is Your character. You see me. You know me. You value me. Thank You for the gift of Your love, regardless of my failures or my best efforts. Help me to trust and rely on Your love. Amen.