ALWAYS GLAD TO SEE YOU

Leon FontaineDevoted

We love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (AMPC)

Why do you love God? Is it because Jesus commanded you to? Are you fulfilling some sort of obligation or following a rule?

No, today’s scripture gives the real reason why you love God—because He loved you first. This may not seem significant to you if you’re doing pretty well in life. If you’re following His principles and you’re serving Him, it may be easy to see why He would love you. But you have to remember something really important. He has always loved you, even at your most unlovable moments.

God sent Jesus to die for you, knowing all the wrong thoughts you would think and the bad choices you would make in your lifetime. He loves you, flaws and all, and always will. I used to think that God was unhappy with me—that I was failing to live up to His expectations—so I avoided spending time with Him. Eventually I realized that He wasn’t condemning me; the condemnation was coming from my own heart.

It’s natural to feel guilty when you’ve done wrong (it’s the sign of a healthy conscience), but shame and condemnation are a different story. Shame makes you feel flawed at the core. It causes you to feel hopeless—like you’ll never measure up—and it makes you feel as if you can never go to God for help.

God is not pointing out your flaws. He won’t jump on your mistakes or meet you with an “I told you so!” God accepts you, as messed up or imperfect as you may feel. Think about this unconditional love He has for you. You can talk with Him anytime and He won’t judge you. He’s always glad to see you.