And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 (NKJV)
God’s love for you is not earned through behaviour. He has chosen to love you—right here, right now, just as you are.
This concept is one of the most important truths to grasp, because knowing we are loved by God is the basis for great relationships. The more we realize that we are loved unconditionally, the more grace, love and compassion we extend to ourselves, and the more grace, love and compassion we extend to others.
When Jesus was being baptized and Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove, God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” But it’s interesting to think about the timing of this statement. You see, Jesus hadn’t done anything “great” yet. Jesus hadn’t even performed His first miracle at this point, yet God wanted us all to know that He loved Jesus and was well pleased with Him.
We tend to think that love is earned—that we need to do great things before God can look on us with fondness. It’s great to want to do great things for God, but we need to know that these things don’t earn our worth. You are worthy because of the sacrifice Jesus made for you. He’s crowned you with dignity and worth, glory and honour (Psalm 8:5). He’s invested Himself in you. When you choose to follow Jesus you become a beloved member of God’s family, a child of the King, and He empowers you to do great things!
Just as He said to Jesus, God is saying to you, “You are my child, who I love. With you I am well pleased!”