Phrases like “God is love”, “Everyone matters to God” and “God loves all the children of the world” are uniquely Christian thoughts that speak about the character of God, hence the phrases. Prior to Jesus everyone assumed that people got what they deserved, therefore that implied that God favored the wealthy and powerful and was against the sick, the poor, and the destitute. But contrary to that belief we now know that everyone is valuable to God.

 

Jesus taught in the Parable of the Lost Coin and The Lost Sheep, that God is chasing after people but not to punish them but rather to win them back. Jesus taught in The Parable of the Prodigal Son that He waits with wide-open arms to receive all of those who have walked away and ruined their lives. On one occasion Jesus pointed out to his disciples a poor widow who was putting her gift into the treasury, a gift that in today’s estimate would be valued at less than a penny, and said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all…” Again, in the first century no one else would have thought that God valued the lost, the rebellious, or the poor. And if that were not enough, in The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that even our enemies are valuable to God, and he instructed us to pray for them. This was a brand-new approach to the way people perceived God. 

 

BIBLICAL READING:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35 NIV

 

THINK ABOUT IT:

The truth is that Jesus was giving his disciples a new command. This was not the command to love those who loved you, this was a new command to love and serve others the way that God through Jesus has loved and served all of us. This is the humblest and yet the greatest love. 

 

PRAY:

Dear God, I cannot thank you enough for your awesome love. How can I begin to thank you for Jesus, who served and loved so much that he took my place on the cross, a punishment that I deserved? Father, I know you value all of us regardless of our condition, thank you for pursuing me, for loving me before I even loved you back. As I continue praying and seeking, I ask that you continue to help me grow in love, humility, and in service to you and my neighbor. I confess that loving my enemies is not an easy thing to do, but because you ask, I will pursue growing in this area. How can I not forgive if you have forgiven me and how can I not love when you have loved me? God I purpose in my heart today to love and serve with humility because above all, I want to please you and do your will. Thank you for your unending love, your patience with me, your grace, and for Jesus. Amen