You Are God's Beloved
You are God’s beloved.
For some of us, this is clear and welcome information. We are pleased to be reminded of this truth, and we take courage and strength from knowing it is true. For others of us, these verses set up some cognitive dissonance. That is to say, we hear them but can’t really process or embrace them. Somehow, it all seems impossible, too good to be true, and we assume it must be for someone else. But let’s try to think about why we might react this way.
As we know, the father we had is the father we assume God to be. Of course, this is not true or fair to any human father. But it is the way we feel about our father, and by association, we feel the same about God the Father. One of the very special pages in The Steps to Freedom in Christ booklet is the truths about God the Father in step ____. When going through this list on my own, I look for sayings that cause cognitive dissonance and focus on those. I work on them and seek to embrace them.
It is always very special to see others process these statements. These truths will transform how anyone feels about God if they are repeated, dwelt on, and embraced. It is difficult to believe them, but they are in fact, truths that will stand the test of time. Note also that in The Steps to Freedom, these truths come just after the step of forgiveness. Most people will recognize a need to forgive their own father, thus preparing the way to embrace a new view of God.
But there is something else going on as well. As society continues to fray, fewer people have had an example or experience of genuine love in their lives. Matthew describes it this way:
“And because lawless will be increased, the love of may will grow cold” (Mt 24:12).
In other words, people have no clear idea what love actually is, so when they hear that God loves them, they don’t understand what it means. This is a bit more complicated to work through, but we all can learn to be loved and to love again. To learn love is a process with several important elements. But it is worth working through them, since love is possible and beautiful once discovered. Here is the path I personally have worked through over the last several years.
First, I recognized that I had many, many idols. Each of these had stolen a piece of my heart, and I had no complete heart to give anyone. Confession, repentance, and renouncing these one by one has set pieces of my heart free. Once free, that piece of my heart allows me to experience God’s love more completely. I have sensed the love of God on a deeper level and enter into the love relationship shown in John 15:9.
One of the most deeply embedded idols is/was my love of self, that is to say, selfishness and self-focus. The more self-focused I am, the less I can love God and others. This also prevents me from experiencing God’s love. So, intentionally abandoning selfishness has really helped grow love in my heart. It is choice to put others first, to not have the last word, to not expect others to understand me. This grew out of a recognition that in Christ I am significant – one of the key identity statements which God has spoken over me.
Then, I needed an example. My wife is amazing and has shown me love over and over. But, of course, God shows examples as well. Romans 5:8 says it this way: “...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We hear this often in Christian circles, but hearing and embracing the truth are not the same.
Finally, there is the magnificent description of love given by Paul in 1 Cor 13:4-7. When reading through these I ask myself, is this how I respond to others? By doing so, I can evaluate if I am really loving others as God has loved me.
Am I patient and kind?
Do I envy or boast?
I am arrogant or rude?
Do I insist on my own way?
Am I irritable or resentful?
Do I rejoice at wrong doing or do I rejoice in the truth?
Do I bear all things, believe (in others for) all things, hope all things, and endure all things?
This is the sign of God’s love at work in us. We cannot manufacture this on our own, but as we understand His incredible love, we start to love as He does. Because: “...God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).”
You are loved by God. You are beloved. Let this become the fabric of your life.