For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. {Ephesians 2:8}
God loves us so much that there is nothing we can ever do to make Him stop loving us. So many times we think we have to gain His approval to make Him love us, but that is far from the truth. He loves us already even before we came into existence. Even before we came to know Him. Even before we can utter the words, “I love You, Jesus,” He already loved us. There is nothing He will not do for us if we just love Him.
It’s like a mother expecting a baby. Even before that child was born, already that mother is in love with her baby. Even before she saw her baby’s face, she already loved him or her. Just the fact that she has a baby growing in her body, her child is already loved by her. How much more then when that baby is born and laid in her arms does she love that baby? Even before that baby had any knowledge of who is holding him or her, that mother loves her child beyond anything she can ever express or feel. And that mother is going to love her child until the day she dies.
How much more then God, who is Love, loved us even before we knew who He is? A mother’s love that she feels for her baby is nothing compared to the love God has for you and I. God created Love, how much more then is His love is greater than anyone of us can imagine? He loves us so much He became a man to be one of us. He wanted to be here, experience life with us, and then give His life up at the cross so that we can belong to Him forever and ever. There is nothing you can do that will turn Him away from you and will make Him stop loving you. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done against Him or against anybody, or that you can’t forgive yourself for whatever reason, He still loves you and wants you.
It took me such a long time to believe this. I remember one time in my prayer time with Him feeling terrible about myself again. I didn’t want to talk to Him. I couldn’t talk to Him because I felt like a failure. I felt like I’ve disappointed Him again. I try to do what is good and pleasing before Him, but it seems to me I just fail again and again. I come up with my own ideas of wanting to please God instead of being focused on just loving Him. So for example when I fail to pray, I beat myself up. I just felt that He couldn’t possibly love me anymore. And so you can imagine if I’ve done something even worse than not praying, then I’m really running away from Him now. I would have a hard time talking to Him. But you know something? I found myself telling Him exactly what I was feeling anyway. I told Him how bad I felt and how I feel so foolish and so unworthy of Him. You know what He said to me? He said to me, “Love Me anyway”. Meaning, to go ahead and love Him anyway, in spite of how bad I was feeling. He showed me that my sins and my failures of trying to please Him are no reason to run away from Him. Loving Him is all that matters to Him. He showed me that loving Him gives me power over my sins and over the power that Satan has to make me feel bad about myself. He showed me He can easily take my sins and shame away. As a matter of fact as soon as I say to Him, “I’m sorry” and “I repent” (and meaning it from the bottom of my heart), He forgives me. Again and again throughout the years I would hear Him say to me, “I forgive you. Move on and love Me.” He doesn’t want me dwelling on my sins and how bad I feel about myself or how bad I’ve disappointed Him. I have experienced that when I love Him anyway as He has told me, and stop thinking about my sins and failures, His love would fill my soul and I would feel His forgiveness. His love would strengthen me and make me feel whole again. His love gave me the power to repent, overcome and move on.
I have learned, that to stay victorious in my relationship with the Lord I have to love Him anyway. I have to come to Him and talk to him anyway, and tell Him how much He means to me, despite of how bad I feel about myself. I tell Him I love Him anyway. I tell Him how great and wonderful He is and how I cannot live without Him. I sing and praise His name and love Him anyway, even when I’m cringing inside and I feel so ashamed of myself and feel so unworthy of Him. I love Him anyway.
At the end of the day Jesus Christ is the one that is holy and righteous. Jesus Christ is the one that does the saving, not me. I could never in a million years save myself or be righteous enough that I could merit His love for me. He came and died for me, because simply He already loved me. Me coming to Him again and again only makes Him happier about me, sin or no sin, failures or no failures. He’s already in love with me. Me coming to Him pleases Him so much, because then He can really save me. Me coming to Him is a bonus, because in the process I am saving myself. I am doing myself a great favor. I’m making it better for myself, because then He can bless me and love me even more. It gives Him the power to be able to save me from my sins and from my carnal desires. If I hold onto my sins and keep it to myself and not come to Him and confess them, He cannot help me. Since He loves me already why not come to Him anyway? Just me coming to confess my sins and my faults to Him are enough to Him, because He’s already in love with me and nothing is going to change that. My coming to Him gives Him the power to save me. And I need that. I must keep coming to Him because I want Him to save me. Besides, He loves me already, why should I stop myself from coming to the One who already loves me and accepts me for who I am?
So every time you’re feeling bad about your relationship with the Lord, remember, love Him anyway. Talk to Him anyway. Tell Him how much He means to you anyway and how you cannot live without Him. In doing so, you are winning and overcoming. You are gaining more and more of God, and He will be giving Himself to you more and more. Remember, He’s already in love with you there is nothing you can do that will make Him stop loving you. All you need to do is just talk to Him and love Him and be yourself with Him. Love Him anyway because He already loves you.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. {Romans 5:6-11}
Prayer
Father, You are so awesome and so great and wonderful. How can I ever repay You for Your great love for me? I cannot do it. I will never be good enough or righteous enough to merit Your love for me. So Father, here I am anyway, coming to You, even if I don’t feel so worthy or so great about myself before You. You love me and that’s all that matters, I give myself to You.
I am so grateful to You Jesus that You are so gracious with Your love for me. You never ever change. Your love will remain the same until the end. Here I am Jesus, I give myself to You. Do whatever You please with me. My life belongs to You. I can do nothing for myself to overcome in this life and to make it to heaven. I need You. I am lost without You, Jesus. May You grant Your heart’s desires concerning me and bring me to where You are when the time comes. I pray Father, in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-card-pastels-figure-762564/
Rp10/2018
