Love
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day! For some, it’s an opportunity to state their love for someone they have had a secret crush on, by sending an anonymous card.
For others, it may be a cosy night in, snuggled together. For some, it may be a delicious meal out, in a fancy restaurant. For the true romantics, it may even be a night away in a hotel!
There are those who love it; and those who hate it! There are those who don’t bother, some forget it, and others boycott it as they say, ‘it’s just a made-up occasion by retailers!’ Just for the record, I did not forget, neither did my wife.
This talk of love does point me to God. After all, the Bible says, ‘God is love’. This love is not the romantic love associated with Valentine’s Day, but something far deeper that is for everyone.
Before Jesus started his ‘ministry’ (i.e., his preaching, teaching, miracles and healings) the Bible says that he went to be baptised in the Jordan river by John the Baptist…
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.””
This was a very poignant moment! God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were all present! What’s also amazing is what God the Father said. He acknowledged who Jesus was, and said that he loved him, and he was pleased with him.
This is so significant as it was said ‘before’ Jesus did anything. In other words, Father God’s love was based on who Jesus was, and not what he did. The starting point for Jesus was that he was loved and accepted.
From that secure place, Jesus did go on to say and do incredible things. But he was not loved because of that. The love that Father God expressed, was not dependent on what Jesus did.
When our children were born, and they rested in the embrace of their mum, I found a love for them rose up within me. They were just there, and I loved them for who they were.
I believe this is how God also views you and me. First and foremost, God loves us for who we are. This can be easy for some to accept, and hard for others, depending on how you are wired!
Let me encourage you to pause for a moment. You need to know that God loves you, and He says: ‘This is you, chosen and marked by my love, the delight of my life.’
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader