A Look into the Love of God

"Smile God Loves You!" is a common phrase that was heard a few years ago. While this phrase is true, many people don't really know what it truly means. One of my favorite Christian Bands growing up was DC Talk and they had a slew of songs out, a couple of which dealt with the issue of love. "Love is a Verb", and "Say the Words" were just a few that they sang. The whole premise of the song "Love is a Verb" centers around the fact that Love is more than just a word that we throw out there for people to hear. Love is, in fact, an action that must not just be said but also expressed. We can say over and over again "I love you" but the words have little meaning unless the receiver of those words can actually love being played out through actions. There are the classic showings of love: candy, flowers, cards, poems, love notes but does our expression of love go beyond just the giving of gifts and notes? How do we show love to one another? The world we live in tends to make us believe that the ultimate expression of love can only be found in the "physical form" but this simply is not true. Love itself is more than just lovey-dovey feelings and having birds burst into song and flowers sprout from the ground while the sun sings a beautiful tune that elevates our spirits....if this ever happens please take video I want to see it! Our everyday actions can show those around us that we love them. Hug your spouse or children for not reason, do something for someone just because, kids do your chores without any request from your parents, make a meal for someone just because, say an encouraging word or pat someone on the back and tell them they are doing a good job, or just ask if someone wants to talk and listen to them. Love isn't hard to express it just takes a little bit of extra thought or action to show it in creative ways. What about God, though? Sometimes we don't give the love of God a second thought, it's just something that we say or express but at times never really think about or even allow ourselves to feel. To say that God loves us is an understatement, God adores us! We are His creation, His image bearers, the ones that hold His breath of life and house His Spirit. To say that you are not unique or special according to God could not be further from the truth. God Himself created you to love and be loved, first and foremost by Him. Psalm 139:13-16 tells us:

13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a] Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (ESV)

You see you have worth and have been specially created by God, not by accident, but for a purpose and with great care! The love of God extends past just your formation and birth but throughout your very life as well. The love of God is ultimately displayed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:6-11 says:

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (ESV)

So we can see that even in our sin, God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us in order that we would not be separated from Him by our sins. How great is the love of God that he would not even spare Himself through His son Jesus to take away that which separates us from Him! One thing we must not ever let ourselves fall into is believing that we are not acceptable of receiving love. Satan would love for us to think that God, our Creator, only cares for those who are perfect, but this cannot be further from the truth! Romans 8:38-39 says:

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)

Did you catch that? Nothing, absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God! Angels, demons, kings, presidents, death, life, nothing can keep you from God's love! God loves us even when we don't love ourselves, or maybe even loved by others. It really is no question that God does not put limitations on His love. One thing we need to remember is that we are not perfect and won't be until we are with Him in Glory. We mess up, God knows that and loves us anyways! You can never say that God can't love me I have done too much to not deserve that, WRONG! God would never have sent Jesus to sacrifice his life for us in the first place if that were true. God loves our past, our present, and our future. There is nothing, NOTHING you can do to stop that. One thing that we must talk about really quick though is the fact that just because God loves us doesn't mean that he won't correct us or let us go through things in order to help us learn and grow closer to Him. Growing up, I messed up a lot and my parents were there to show me and teach me the right way to go and do. I got corrected, sometimes hard when it was needed but this didn't mean that they didn't love me, the corrected me because they loved me and wanted what was best for me. God is the exact same way, Hebrews 12:5-11 states:

5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (ESV)

So we can see that even though God does love us, if we are His child through Salvation in Jesus Christ, then he disciplines us because He loves us. This is not to be mean or extend some holy power in our lives to oppress us, but it shows that we are His and He loves us enough to do what's best for us.

This week as a family reflect on these verses and really study and talk about what they mean to each of you. Open up a discussion with your children about love and discipline and why you do certain things you do in order to teach and guide them. Relate these scriptures to yourselves as adults and how your parents loved and disciplined you. Really think of the love of God and how far it truly goes and what it really means to us in our lives. Have a time of prayer with your family, thanking God for His love and his discipline and ask Him to make His love known even more in your lives if sometimes we have a hard time seeing it.