John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
If there is one commonality that all human beings share, it is the innate desire to be loved. Maybe we don’t think about it all time, but deep within each one of us is the need for love in our lives. Children want and need to be loved by their parents. Parents want and need to be loved by their children. Relationships may begin with other common interests, but what causes relationships to mature is how much love is present in that relationship.
When you look around you, no doubt you will see people in all walks of life doing all kinds of things, sometimes because they love others, and many times because they love themselves. People feel loved by being supported, encouraged, helped, listened to, served, and so on. You can probably think right now about times when you have felt loved by others, or times when you’ve loved others well.
There are many ways that you can show love, but by far the greatest would be by laying down your own health and well being, even your own life for the sake of others. We honor mothers or fathers for how they continually sacrifice their own wants and desires for the sake of their children. We think of military men and women who have put themselves in harm's way to save their fellow soldiers. We even give medals for this type of behavior, all of which comes from a place of love.
So how amazing is it, that the God of all creation, saw our desperate need in our sinfulness, and because he loves us, sent his only son to die on our behalf to pay for our sins? It is the greatest picture of love that the world has ever known. God didn’t have to do anything for us. He owes us nothing. And yet, he did something and the reason for that has nothing to do with what we can do for him. In love he saw our hopelessness. In love he gave the solution. In love he brings us in, and in love he brings us home.
This great love was shown in the death of Jesus Christ, the only person who has ever loved perfectly. He loved perfectly in his life, and he loved perfectly in his death. Think about this amazing statement: He loved you personally when he died on the cross. Jesus died knowing and loving individual people and by God’s grace, you are one of those people.
So what then do you think of this great love? Have you believed that God loves you this much and do you believe it today? If you do, you have received the greatest gift from that love that you could ever receive, in that you will live forever with this God who loves you to the uttermost. Take time today to think on this undeserved love, and really try to absorb it. Rest in it. Hope in it. Find your strength in it, and enjoy it. God has loved you, he loves you still, and he will love you for an eternity.
