I love you. Such a short sentence yet one of the most profound ones you will ever hear, now let us take it one step further, imagine God whispering that into your ear every second of every day. How pumped would you feel?! Often times it is difficult to fully internalise the height, depth, and breadth of God’s love for us. For many of us, the love of God is an abstract idea, something we merely have head knowledge of as opposed to transformative heart knowledge. This being said whilst it certainly is a gradual journey, we want to be in a place where God’s love is embedded in our hearts and fuelling every part of our lives, so we can go out into the world and love others with the love God first loved us with. So how can we make God’s love more real in our everyday life?
We do nothing for His love
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him
Psalm 103:11
Before Christ, we were separated from God. He was a distant figure that we felt disconnected and far away from in our hearts yet through Jesus, intimacy was created. The veil was torn, and we gained direct access into the presence of God; we can speak to and hear from Him directly, as a child speaks to their father. In sending Jesus Christ to become sin and die for us on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21), God demonstrated His love for us first by ushering us into His gracious presence (1 John 4:10). He is a God that meets us where we are at in our faith but does not leave us the same way. As Christians, we have the privilege of walking in daily fellowship with God, being washed and sanctified by His word. His love for us as a people sets us apart, so whilst we may go through trials and tribulations in this life, it is His love that sustains us and lifts us up again. It is so important for us to take time to quietly meditate on God’s love for us and how He views us because the enemy, the devil, is prowling around trying to deceive us regarding God’s love (1 Peter 5:8) and if we don’t have a good grasp of the truth it is very easy to fall for a lie.
What can compete with the truth about God’s love for you?
Although we may understand that God loves us, that doesn’t stop other life factors from trying to dismantle the truth and power of His love. These can act as thorns preventing you from enjoying the fruit of the Holy Spirit inside of you. These could be any situation such as suffering from a long-term illness to a family breakdown, failure or heartbreak from a relationship, these very real situations can instil doubt, fear and cause you to question your worth in God’s eyes. It is important for us to remember that God’s love is not circumstantial, whether we are in the valleys or mountain tops His love remains. The presence of pain and suffering does not equate to the absence of God amidst it all.
When the world says, “you’re not good enough”, “You were a mistake”, “Who could ever love you”, the Holy Spirit is faithful to bring into remembrance that God loves us with a steadfast love that is enduring (Romans 8:39). He is the good shepherd that would leave the 99 sheep to look for and bring home the one. Our God would move heaven and earth for His children.
The power of meditating in the presence of God
Recently I read a book called “Stay” by Sophia Barrett which talks about the healing power of meditating in the presence of God. A key part that stood out in the book about meditation was that it can act as an antiseptic, it is painful as God will uproot lies that you have carried in your heart and expose things that have unrightfully hoarded space in your heart. Yet at the same time, it is healing as it releases you to live the abundant and empowered life He intended for you (John 10:10). You are restored through His lovingkindness, back to a fully effective vessel empowered by His loving truth.
God’s love affirms and anchors us in this life, He loves us with the highest love – agape love. He didn’t just say it flippantly, but He demonstrated it through Jesus (John 3:16) and I pray that God will give you spiritual eyes to see His love for you demonstrated in your life. His love is persistent, sacrificial and all-consuming, no matter what we come against it is bearable if we’re abiding in Him. So, say this with me “I am loved, not by chance but by choice. I am loved not because I deserve it but because I’m chosen. I am loved not just today but for eternity.”
Practical ways to remind yourself of God’s love:
- Start a gratitude journal to document the work of God in your life.
- Share your testimonies with friends/family.
- Abide in the Word of God.