God’s love. A different perspective
I’m sure most of us have heard someone say to us, “God loves you”.
How does it make you feel, to hear someone say this to you?
We say this so many times, especially at church, that it’s become slang we easily discard.
I’ve often asked the following questions at different points in my life.
What is love to me?
What does God’s love mean to me?
Do I understand what it means to be loved by a God I cannot see?
What does it mean to show up as one who is truly loved?
How do I receive God’s love?
In 1 Corinthians 13, love is said to be patient and kind and not to rejoice in wrongdoing.
We read these verses in churches, especially at weddings, and for Christians, this verse has become a benchmark of what is required of us to love others.
We’ve got to go out there and love people, even the difficult people that we struggle to love.
We’ve got to be kind to people even when they are being unkind.
We’ve got to forgive those who have wronged us, after all, love covers a multitude of sins, right?
But how are we supposed to do all the above if we don’t fully understand the depth of God’s love for us?
How do we go out there and give away something that we don’t have or understand?
What about the truth that God loves us?
How many of us can sit with the truth that God loves us?
How many of us daily, RECEIVE God’s love for us?
How does it even feel like to be loved by God?
Not just the idea that He sent His son to die for us but the idea that you have a loving Father who, completely, utterly and relentlessly adores and loves you even in your imperfections.
The truth is that because God is Love and God lives in you, you are Love and you are Loved.
Also, no amount of shame, fear, or sin will be able to separate you from His love.
So you may ask, how do I truly experience God’s love and walk in my true identity as His child?
Well…
If Love is Patient, then God is patient so to receive God’s love is to also believe that God is patient with you.
If love is Kind, then God is Kind so to receive God’s love is to also receive his kindness towards you.
If Love doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoing, then God doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoing, so to receive God’s love is to believe that God doesn’t rejoice in your suffering, he isn’t punishing you or condemning you. He is your loving Father after all.
What would your life look like if you were to show up every day as a child dearly loved by their Heavenly Father?
How would you show up every day in the way you love others?
Would your day be fearful? Perhaps not. Because God’s perfect love casts out fear right?
Would you walk in shame? Again, probably not. Because shame is of fear and the one who fears is not made perfect in love.
I have been on a journey learning about God's love and while it’s been one of my most challenging years, it’s been absolutely life-changing learning to truly receive God’s love for me.
I’ve come to realise that the more of God’s love I receive, the easier I am able to love others.
The more I feel loved, the less fearful I am.
And the more I choose to accept God’s love for me, the more I learn who I truly am in Christ Jesus.
You, my friend, are truly loved, RECEIVE IT.
We love because GOD FIRST LOVED US. 1 John 4:19