I feel as though I talk about God’s love a lot on here. And if it seems that way to y’all too, I’m starting to realize why I talk about it so much. Although I’ve been a believer since I was 16 years old, I’ve just started to realize the depth of Christ love is deeper than I will ever understand. But I also talk about it because I want everyone to know that even though we may not always feel loved by the people around us, we are always loved by our Heavenly Father.
I think we have such a hard time believing that we are loved by Christ because we often view the way He loves us by the way our parents love us. I know that I’m loved by my Dad, but I spent a lot of years trying to earn his love through things I did. I thought that if I went to a good school, he would love me more. I thought that if I cleaned the house without being asked, he would love me. Or I thought that if I did absolutely everything to his standards, whether I agreed with them or not, he would love me. I did all of this because I wasn’t feeling love from my Dad. He wouldn’t openly say, “I love you” just because he could. He didn’t always hug me when I wanted or needed it. He didn’t show love the way that others would. Often times his way of showing love, was giving my sisters and I whatever we wanted and then sending us on our way to leave him alone.
And unfortunately, I started to see Jesus’ love as something I had to earn too. I would try to volunteer more at church, so that He would love me more. I would close my eyes and put my hands up during worship, thinking that that would make Him love me. I would try to have the right answers when friends asked me questions, be at church when doors were opened, always be willing to take care of church kids, and during all of this I would be saying in my head, “Is this enough, Lord? Do you love me because of this?”
But y’all, Jesus doesn’t love us because of the things we do or the words we say or the boxes we “check off” to seem like more of a Christian. Jesus loves us because He wants to. Jesus loves us in all of our messiness, our grief, our struggles, our joys, our heartaches, and our seemingly mundane. Jesus loves us in spite of it all. He knows how imperfect we are and loves us anyway. He doesn’t look at us and say, “Well, yeah, I died on the cross for you and all but what are you going to do for me?” He doesn’t work that way. He sees us for all that we are, sinful and in need of a Savior, and loves us more than we will ever understand.
I guess what I’m trying to say in all of this, is that wherever you are today, you are loved, my friend. My very best friend was struggling several weeks ago and I shared some words that came to mind that I think are very fitting for this post: You are more cherished than you know. Your brokenness doesn’t define you and you don’t have to hide behind it. We’re all broken in one way or another. You are deeply loved by the Creator of the Cosmos who sent His son to die for you. You are so loved, friend. More than you can even imagine. I know you may not be able to see it right now and that it hurts so bad you probably feel like you’re suffocating, but you are so, SO, loved. I pray that these words ring true for y’all today as well. Rest in His love, friends.
“We love because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 ESV
** In case you were concerned, my Dad and I have a much different relationship today. I don’t look at his love the way that I used to. I know he loves me no matter what and I am so thankful that the Lord changed my heart to see that.
Beauty in the Ashes 