You Can't Change That

 

God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.  1 John 4:16

Unlike what the world offers us, God does not love us, accept us, or forgive us based upon our performance.  God doesn't play favorites either.  He does not love the more beautiful people more than the plain.  He doesn't favor the rich and famous over the poor and unknown.  He doesn't choose the high achievers over the low achievers.  In fact, there is nothing you can do, regarding status, appearance, or performance, that will possibly elevate you one inch in God’s eyes.

Our loving Father accepts us because we come to Him believing in Jesus Christ as the One who has paid the full price for our sins.  He loves us, because He created each of us, and has chosen to love us from the moment He first though of us and there is nothing you can do to change that!

It's Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God ; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  1 John 4: 7-8

By the time I finally graduated from Auburn University, I struggled with accepting the fact that God actually loved me.  I had done everything I could to run as far away from Him as possible and lived to tell about it.  The constant partying, the unabashed selfishness, the self-inflicted anger, hurt, guilt, and pain left me feeling like God couldn't possibly love me in the 'broken' state that I was in.

The more I read the Bible, the more it became clearly apparent that God loved me; He always has and always will.  I began to notice this beautiful world that we live in and understand that He created each of us with a need for His love.  There is nothing we can possibly substitute for our basic need to have God’s never-ending and perfect love.

There are times you may feel unworthy of His love just like I once did.  The truth of the matter is that no one is worthy of God’s love.

The good news is that His love is not based on whether we are deserving or not, He loves us unconditionally, and it’s hard to fathom from our limited perspective.

It's Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God ; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  1 John 4: 7-8

By the time I finally graduated from Auburn University, I struggled with accepting the fact that God actually loved me.  I had done everything I could to run as far away from Him as possible and lived to tell about it.  The constant partying, the unabashed selfishness, the self-inflicted anger, hurt, guilt, and pain left me feeling like God couldn't possibly love me in the 'broken' state that I was in.

The more I read the Bible, the more it became clearly apparent that God loved me; He always has and always will.  I began to notice this beautiful world that we live in and understand that He created each of us with a need for His love.  There is nothing we can possibly substitute for our basic need to have God’s never-ending and perfect love.

There are times you may feel unworthy of His love just like I once did.  The truth of the matter is that no one is worthy of God’s love.

The good news is that His love is not based on whether we are deserving or not, He loves us unconditionally, and it’s hard to fathom from our limited perspective.

To Love Somebody

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  1 Corinthians 13:4,7

Plainly and simply put-we all want to be loved.  There are people who may claim otherwise, but we are all created with the same basic need and desire to be loved.  After dealing with a recent family emergency and witnessing first hand the love of a couple that has been married for over 42 years, I think that I am still learning what 'true love' genuinely is...

When you love someone, you must be willing to open up and share your feelings, fears, ideas, and experiences with that other person.  When you love someone, you must be willing to talk to that person.  When you love someone, you must be willing to work on solving problems in the relationship together with that other person.

One of the most commonly read Bible verses at any wedding comes from the book of Corinthians and describes genuine love as love that is marked by generosity, willingness to change, grow and mature, and the willingness to share the good and bad over a lifetime with another person.

The Whole Love

Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or wide.  It does not demand its own way.  It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

The above passage is one of the most recognized verses of Scripture in the Holy Bible.  It is one of the most commonly read Scriptures at weddings and is also the most descriptive verses about what love really is.

The mission statement of Cokesbury, my church home in Knoxville,  is to love people into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  The more I think about it, that’s what all churches and believers should be focused on…simply loving people into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  So, what exactly is love?

God is love.  Love simply would not exist if it were not for His love for us, first. This is proven by the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He took on the burden of all of mankind's sins on the cross, died, was buried, and then rose again from the grave.

Let’s give God all of the glory and praise, for loving us first, even when we didn't deserve it and let's extend that love to a world that desperately needs it!