Does God Love Me?
If you’re asking the question, “does God love me?”, you’re in the same shoes as many other people. I too, have struggled with this question. More so, I now struggle with the question of how, not if. The fact of the matter is, God does love you. In fact, the Bible says He loves all the people of the world. However, the hard truth is that we all have the ability to either accept or reject that love. Effective love isn’t a one-sided street. I will get in to that a bit later.
God’s love offers a solution to human fate. See, first we have to realize apart from God our destination is Hell. We have all fallen short of God’s glory and have been born into a fallen world. What is right in our eyes conflicts with what is right in God’s eyes. Just look at the state of the world today. We build our kingdom here, store our treasures into earthly possessions, and we seek what satisfies our immediate desires. I am also captive to the ideas of self-gratification and captive at times to ‘doing what makes me happy.’ That, however, is not what God intended us for. Let’s take it back to creation.
Where It All Began
In the beginning, God created the world and in that world he made man in His own image. The creation of mankind was designed for relationship. Everything we thrive off today with our family and friends, that’s what God made us for. But, that relationship was perfect and God walked with man. God never desired for us to be alone, thus we see God gave Adam a companion, Eve. Both Adam and Eve fell short and gave into their own flesh which sepearated them from God. This sin trickled down from generation to generation, but God still loved us. So much that He sent His only son Jesus to be a sacrifice for that sin that separates us from God.
So you’ve already heard the gospel, where am I even going with this? Trust me, I am getting there. Just please be patient and you’ll see! If you’re here questioning God’s love, you may have a wrong definition of it altogether. I’ve heard, if God loves the world, why are people in poverty? Why are people dying from cancer, why is there so much division in races, why are good people suffering from horrible fates? These are all valid questions, but let me challenge your definition of love.
Okay, Then What Is Love?
I am about to get really repetetive and cliche with you. So, get ready. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
Does any of this sound like a good God to you? God is patient and kind to us. I can reflect on myself on how many times I ran from God. God never once backed down and gave up on me, He continually left the nighty-nine to come and rescue me. But wait, Chris it says it doesn’t envy, boast, and isn’t proud…. Isn’t God a jealous God? Doesn’t God demand praise? If you’re thinking like this you may be off on some characteristics of God. God deserves all glory and honor, there is no one like Him. He is jealous for us, but He does not envy any. God’s love isn’t forceful for His glory and it wipes away all wrongs. Jesus is the truth, and there is rejoicing for those who follow Him. His love protects us and no one can pluck us from His hand.
God’s love has never failed once. His love is enduring and His love saves. We all have a choice to either accept or reject this love. His loves saves us, our rejection is what sepeartes us. We can question God’s love, we can’t always fathom it, but it’s as real as it ever was. This world isn’t eternity and those who live in it will suffer pain, but there is truth in God’s love that will wipe away all earthly suffering and pain. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sin, and that love is what connected you back to His grace.
But Why Does God Love Me?
I struggle with this every single day. Listen, you are reading the words of the most selfish, self-centered, and biggest sinner there may be. If Paul in the bible fell short and considered himself the least, I am far lower than he is. The point is, we can’t focus on who we are, we have to focus on who HE IS. I will never know the answer to why God loves us. Pride will tell me, Chris you’re doing great things, look at what you’ve accomplished. All my accomplishments, they are worthless in the sight of God. His love is what keeps me loving others. That love is what helps me store treasures in Heaven and is what points others to the truth of the gospel. We are just blessed enough to be vessels of that truth.
The why isn’t as important as the who. To give you an example, God is doing amazing things in my own life. Apart from His love, I would’ve never been able to stand here writing this to you all. God is leading my family to Sicily, Italy. When I tell people, they look at me shocked. Why Sicily? That is very specific. Just like I don’t understand why God loves me, I don’t understand why Sicily. This may be confusing for the people out there reading this, but let me enstore confidence in the WHO, not the why. Truth is, I don’t know why Sicily. But what I do know is that God is preparing our hearts to go and He is making a way.
Does God’s Love Have A Final Destination?
God’s love is what is sending my family to Sicily, but friend that is not our ending destination. In the end, there will be no end for those who choose Jesus. Know my heart is in serving Jesus when I say that Sicily is our future mission field. God is not simple-minded. He didn’t say go about aimlessly serving me, He places each and everyone of us where the gospel is needed. The mission field for Sicily is ready for people willing to serve God and I am blessed to be called to it. However, Sicily is not my home, nowhere on this earth is. The laborers are few, but God has a plan.
Your mission field may not be Sicily. It may not be where you are currently. However, it may be right where you are currently. God doesn’t call everyone away, but He will move when His kingdom needs a laborer. So, I don’t know why Italy for us, but I do know WHO. Please pray for my family as we continue to seek God. We are confident in who He is and are committed to His call. Our time in America has some numbered days, pray we stay content in our current mission field here. We are building relationships with like-minded faithful peope and are blessed to have such amazing friends and family. So my final question is, are you also ready to choose to love?