My friend tells me I’m resisting. “What is holding you back?” she asks again.
I reply hesitantly, “I don’t know.”
“Have you ever turned down gifts when someone offers you something?”
“No, but this is different.”
She is getting impatient with me but she speaks with gentle words. “Yes, this gift is different from any gift you will ever receive. And it’s the best gift you will ever receive if you accept it.”
I can’t even look at my friend. My thoughts are all over the place. I stare out over the water as we sit here on the bank of the lake. She is not pushy about this topic we are discussing. I know she cares. I ask myself why am I resisting.
“It’s a hard decision,” I say. “It seems this “gift” as you call it, comes with a lot of rules. I’m not sure I can live up to it all.”
“What rules?”
“Oh, you know. All the ‘thou shall not this’ and ‘thou shall not that’. I’ve already broken several of them so I don’t think God loves me enough for me to be his child. He probably prefers to give his gift to those Miss Goody Two-shoe types.”
I glanced over at my friend and saw a tear on her cheek.
“Why are you crying?”
She replied with the most loving, caring, compassionate words. Words that I needed to hear again. Words that I’ve heard before but at this moment I believe they are finally getting in my heart.
She tells me God loves me and there is nothing I can do to earn His love. I will never be “good enough” for God and there is not a thing I can do to earn His love.
Maybe you have a friend that is resisting God’s love for him or her as in this fictitious scenario. Or maybe that is you. Friend, don’t wait any longer to receive your Heavenly Father’s gift of His son Jesus Christ. He loves us so very much.
The Bible is filled with words that express God’s love and how much he longs for us to accept his gift of his Son, Jesus Christ. He accepts us as we are. We can never be good enough or earn God’s love. We need Jesus, as our Savior.
The enemy, Satan, tells us we can’t be good enough and will never be good enough. It’s a lie. The truth is Jesus makes it possible.
We are enough because He is enough.
The simple truth to anchor our soul is to accept God’s gift and respond to His love.
Below are some of the many Bible verses about God’s love for us to look up and reflect on:
Jeremiah 31:3
Psalm 86:15
Isaiah 43:25
Zephaniah 3:17
Romans 8:1
Romans 8:16 & 17
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Ephesians 1:3-14
Ephesians 2:4-10
Philippians 1:16
It’s been said that the Bible is God’s love letter to his children.
He truly does love us, more than we can comprehend. We do not have to be “cleaned up” for Him to love us and accept us.
That is the beautiful Good News!
Dear God, Thank you for accepting me as I am. Thank you for sacrificing your Son for my sins. I know in my own efforts I can never earn your love or be good enough. I’m grateful for your Bible, your love letter to your children, expressing how much you love and care for us. I love you, Father. In Jesus Name, Amen.
I pray these words have encouraged you. Please feel free to share with others that may need some hope and encouragement. And to know they are loved.
Book recommendation: Enough by Sharon Jaynes
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