I put my faith in Jesus Christ. I believe he died on the cross for my sins,
and one day i will sing with him in my home in glory.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
It was second grade, when I dutifully stood in front of my Sunday School Teacher and recited this well known Bible Verse. I remember feeling so proud, that I was now old enough to learn memory work like my older brothers. Week after week I would memorize more and more, The Lord’s Prayer, The Ten Commandments, The Apostles Creed, once I even memorized the entire first chapter of John. I loved Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Church Choir, you name it! At home I was quite helpful, and I took great pride in a job well done. One might have called me a “people pleaser”.
It wasn’t long though, and I became a teenager. My people pleaser role took on new meaning, as I began to put my friends first. Satan found my weakness, and worked hard to tempt me with it. I wanted to be cool, and to be accepted by my peers. Now realizing that not all families spent as much time in church, I began to be embarrassed by everything that I used to love. There was a real battle going on inside me. I would hear that I should spread the news of God’s love, but I secretly wished I didn’t know about it myself. Talking about God, to my peers? How humiliating!
Truth be told, I hadn’t a clue what God’s love was truly about. All those things I had memorized as a small child, were just a bunch of words at that point. I never took the time to think about the beauty in all of it. For God so loved the world. The world that was embarrassed by him. The world that would rather please their friends. We are the world to God, and he sent his son for us. Fellow moms, I know we wouldn’t give our sons and daughters up for anyone, let alone some creep that doesn’t even respect us. Becoming a mother has helped me understand the kind of love that God has for us.
The Bible describes God as our Father, and what a perfect description of how he loves us. A parent loves their child in a way that is really unexplainable, other than by the miracle of God. We have the ability to love and protect, hope and dream for our children. When our children chose to do what is pleasing to us, we are so proud. When they misbehave, we are hurt. That is how God feels about us! We are his children! He wants us to come to him when we are happy, sad, worried, mad, and he wants us to believe that his plan is all we need. Isn’t that how we want our children to be with us? We want them to share their feelings with us and have faith in us.
Valentine’s Day is approaching. A day like so many others that has become very commercialized. Lets encourage each other to remind our children that Valentine’s Day is about love, and love is God.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4: 7-8
