God loves you. That phrase has gotten trite and feels shallow sometimes. And yet, it is anything but trite and shallow. While we hated, mocked, spat on Him, God loves us. While we ran from Him and fought any call of His to come to Him, God loves us. While we rebelled and invited more and more darkness into ourselves, God loves us. While the selfishness took over to distort us into maniacal narcissists, God loves us. While we postured in false humility and rode ego trips for our “good” deeds, God loves us.
God reached through the darkness with which we had surrounded ourselves, calling our names and extending His hand to pull us out of the pit. We didn’t know Him, but He knew us. He knew every bit of us and still chose to love us. He loved us to death, and to resurrection in power. Jesus walked the road of ultimate sacrifice, knowing what was in each of us and how we chose our own way. He looked past it and loved anyway. He never stops loving. We simply need to accept the love.
And when we do, we get to call ourselves saints—those who have responded to the call of God and accepted His offer to blow away the fog and bring Light. He willingly suffered rejection and continues to do so, all for the love of us. Jesus walks into our daily lives, providing power, freedom and peace in places that we have none. His love isn’t just for the future, but for now. We no longer need to obsess on the mess that is no longer true of us. He has made us new! We still mess up sometimes, but our identity is not in it. We are messy, crazy, beloved children of God.
Every morning, His mercies are new. Every moment of every day, we can invite Him into our daily lives, waiting for Him to be everything we need for that particular situation. He never leaves, and never will. God chooses to be vulnerable to our pain, walking with us throughout each hard-edged piece of our stories.
God’s love is in the both/and. He has freed us and is freeing us. He has loved us and is loving us. He has brought light to the darkness, and continues to do so. Just as the universe continues to expand, His love continues to expand. There is no end, no limit.
God’s incredible love surpasses any of our mess-ups or attempts to fix ourselves, and frees us from a prison we didn’t even realize we have invited upon ourselves. And in return, He wants us! Not for us to do more, be more, produce more FOR Him. But rather to remain in life-union with Him, a branch on the Vine, a sheep following a shepherd. He wants us to know Him and to look for Him as our Friend, our Lover, our closest relationship.
Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:18-19