Jeremiah 31:3
Feeling Loved
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3
We have so many questions. Of all of our “big” questions, I find in my life and as a pastor there are some questions that seem to cut across all categories. And if I had to break them down into just a few, they would probably be:
Does God really love me?
Does God still love me even though I feel unworthy of that love?
Am I worthy of God’s and others’ love no matter what – is unconditional love real?
Would others love me if they knew everything about me?
I have found that people of faith and people who don’t believe wrestle with these; men and women; young and old. We want to know that God’s love is real. We want to believe that there are some people out there who try to approach loving like God does. But so often our experience shows us otherwise. Still, we are asking the questions, as we should be.
As God would have it, I spend a lot of time thinking about and praying for people (in general as well as individuals) who have felt or still feel unloved by God and others. I also spend a lot of time thinking about how to communicate what I have learned about God’s love to others.
Below, you will find the lyrics to a song that I think is a very effective articulation of the above questions…but also some answers. And I have thrown some verses and thoughts in the mix too.
I Need You To Love Me
By Barlowgirl
“Why, why are You still here with me
Didn’t You see what I’ve done?
In my shame I want to run and hide myself
But it’s here I see the truth
I don’t deserve You”
(I think there is a part of us that can’t believe that the love of God and others is unconditional and faithful. The voice of this song is asking why would God want to still be around us sinners?)
“But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
”But I need You to love me, and I
I won’t keep my heart from You this time
And I’ll stop this pretending that I can
Somehow deserve what I already have
I need You to love me”
(We do need God to love us. We have tried to find love in others and in other things – and nothing compares. And we wrestle with needing God’s love and then giving ourselves, our love to Him. And then the voice of the song adds that this love is so amazing that we can only pretend to deserve it – and yet still have it.)
The Lord says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” Jeremiah 31:3
“I, I have wasted so much time
Pushing You away from me
I just never saw how You could cherish me
‘Cause You’re a God who has all things
And still You want me”
(We have wasted so much time pushing God and others away – maybe because of feeling unworthy or scared or many other things. And here is the kicker – this God who has all things – doesn’t need anything – calls to us by name, wants and loves each of us uniquely. That is the definition of cherishing. And likewise, in our relationships we can, by God’s power, cherish and be cherished.)
“What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” Psalm 8:4 “You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13 ”
Your love makes me forget what I have been
Your love makes me see who I really am
Your love makes me forget what I have been”
(God’s unconditional love for us through Jesus Christ can transform hearts, minds and lives. The moment we can stop running away from or avoiding this love and truly receive, is the same moment that we can forget what we have been and see who we really are (in Christ).)
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20
My prayer for you today is that this is the day that for the first time or for more than ever before, you feel this unconditional love of God in your life.
Amen.
Discussion Questions
- Do you need God to love you? Why or why not?
- Is it hard to believe that God loves like this? Why?
- Can you think of some people over your lifetime that have demonstrated this kind of love? How did that feel?
- How can you move toward loving people more unconditionally?
- If you are cherished and treasured by God (which you are), what does that mean for how others treat you?
- Is today the day that you stop keeping your heart from God? If it is, email me and let me know.
Living Water 