God Loves You!

This truth is the foundation of our faith. It seems that in our Christian lives we hear these words too often or too rarely. Too often to get used to them, or perhaps too rarely to believe them. And the truth is that if you experience the personal and unconditional love of God who is your Father, then your life will change and it won't be like before, when you heard: you are loved

Sometimes when we are in church, when we participate in some religious practice, or even when we kneel to pray, we feel very anonymous, distant before God, and God also seems distant. Meanwhile, God's love is personal. Scripture often speaks of God: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.

Your God is the God of concrete persons, the God who knows your name, who says to you: “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name: you are mine!” (Is 43:1) If you were the only one inhabitant of this earth, then God could not love you more or less, because right NOW in this minute He gives you all the love of Almighty God.

It happens that we hear painful words: I was an unwanted child, my parents did not plan me, it was a mishap. But this is not God, He assures you today and every day: “Can a woman forget her infant, the one who loves the son of her womb? And even if she forgets, I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on both hands”.(Is 49:15-16a) God makes a promise and an assurance. You are my beloved child. You are wanted and planned, I have always known your name, you are my desired child. Your name is engraved on my hands. It is not written there, it is engraved, it cannot be wiped away or erased, it is always before me, just as my love is always with you. There is not a minute or a second when I don't think of you. These words invite us to turn to God as the best Dad, because his love is caring, gentle, his love can transform a person's life.

It also happens that with our experiences we become convinced that love must be earned, in order to experience it, we must first earn it. We have to be somebody or do something to become worthy, to make someone love us. But God's love is not like that. God loves unconditionally. He loves you exactly as you are at this moment. Your past or present, or what you will do in the future, cannot make His love deviate from you. God is powerful, great, almighty, but in all His power He cannot stop loving you. He does not love you for your virtues, but He loves you with your virtues. He will not stop loving you because of the sin you commit. God does not approve of the evil you do, but He accepts you and does it with love. God loves you not because you are good, but because He is good.

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love” (1 Jn 4:7-8)

God loves you! May this truth accompany us throughout our lives, specially throughout Advent, which begins tomorrow.

Until Tomorrow

fr, george