God loves you…
I have a message for all brothers and sisters in Christ…
To those who did not want to paste a fake smile on your face and act like everything is fine… God loves you!
To those who did not sign up to help in the new “ministry program” even though you felt pressured and made to feel less spiritual… God loves you!
To those who did not feel like sitting through another mini-concert and lecture that did not apply to you… God loves you!
To those who struggle with sins that are not the kinds of sins other believers accept… God loves you!
To those who have been called uncommitted because they do not attend every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, and special event… God loves you!
To those who have struggled with their relationship with God and have been instructed that the answer is to get more involved with programs… God loves you!
To those whose children do not memorize all their Bible verses or cannot find every book of the Bible within 2.7 seconds… God loves you!
To those who do not work in the nursery, even after being guilted and given dirty looks… God loves you!
To those who choose not to bow your head and close your eyes… God loves you!
To those who feel they can never be good enough, can never do enough, can never look good enough, can never say the right things… God loves you!
To those who have had their questions, struggles, and pains all too easily brushed aside or fixed… God loves you!
To those who can’t live up to the obligations and expectations that others have placed on them… God loves you!
Can you imagine living in that kind of love every day, instead of the guilt and shame which we usually allow others and ourselves to subject us to?
Can you imagine offering that kind of love to everyone, instead of the conditional approval that we usually offer people?
God loves you.
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Thanks Alan:) Good word…unconditional love, no-strings-attached love!
I chuckled as I read this. 🙂 Not because it’s funny. I mean, all of these things are soooo very true, and sooooo many people neeeed to hear this. My chuckle was more of a sigh of relief that someone is saying all the things that I think!
One line in particular caught my attention:
“To those who choose not to bow your head and close your eyes… God loves you!”
During a FOUR WEEK series on “generosity” (gee, I can’t imagine the motivation behind a church preaching that… lol), the pastor had emphasized a scripture that says “see that you also excel in the grace of giving.” (2 Cor 8:7 NIV).
One of the messages was more like a huge rah rah speech, and the pastor ended with “now, who in here wants to grow in the grace of giving!!!”
Hands shot up all over the place, and I’m thinking my wife and I were the only ones out of place with our hands down. It’s NOT that we think generosity is a bad thing! The reason we didn’t raise our hands has nothing to do with whether or not we’re generous or want to grow in generosity. We simply know who we are and we don’t feel we need to play the game and raise our hands when a pastor raises any given issue that he feels the church needs to deal with.
Anyway, even though I know that I know that I know that it’s ok to not go with the flow in these things, it’s good to hear from someone else who really gets it!
yep – BUT does God LIKE me?
Alan,
Thank you, thank you! This comforted me today. The thought of having to paste a fake smile on my face one more time makes me feel desperate and trapped. Thank you for the reminder that God loves me. I can relax and walk in peace. I agree with jsbreeze – these things are so true and so many need to hear this. I will link to this post on my blog.
Mary
That’s it. Oh that I could have written that. Now I have to go back and edit the post I just put up and link to this as it’s conclusion. Amen and amen.
Just to provide another example of what we sometimes hear as the “gospel”:
To those who did not want to paste a fake smile on your face and act like everything is fine… you just need to get really good at knowing it all so that when others don’t you can smile at their ignorance.
To those of us who blog when we should be out loving others- God loves us. This was a pretty good message Alan. It might have been a little bit sentimental…. I will think it over and if I decide that the post merits it I will conclude that God loves you too.
Yeah, ok, I give it to you this time- God does love you Alan. He probably likes you and so do I.
What is so interesting is that there are so very many Christians who cannot or at least find it very difficult to receive deep into their heart the last words of each statement. They will read it, and perhaps intellectually understand it and believe it in their mind, but in their heart they say, “yes, but…(add rational or irrational reason why God can’t love me, or why he loves so-and-so more, here).
You mean it’s okay that I don’t always bow my head and close my eyes? I thought that was a requirement! Just kidding, but seriously this was an excellent post … thanks!
~Heather
Alan-
Blog on! We all needed to hear this!
Kat
BTW does that mean that God loves me when I’m reading blogs instead of reading His “official” Word?
Alan-
Blog on! We all needed to hear this!
Kat
BTW does that mean that God loves me when I’m reading blogs instead of reading His “official” Word?
Alan-
Blog on! We all needed to hear this!
Kat
BTW does that mean that God loves me when I’m reading blogs instead of reading His “official” Word?
Alan-
Blog on! We all needed to hear this!
Kat
BTW does that mean that God loves me when I’m reading blogs instead of reading His “official” Word?
Alan-
Blog on! We all needed to hear this!
Kat
BTW does that mean that God loves me when I’m reading blogs instead of reading His “official” Word?
Alan-
Blog on! We all needed to hear this!
Kat
BTW does that mean that God loves me when I’m reading blogs instead of reading His “official” Word?
Alan-
Blog on! We all needed to hear this!
Kat
BTW does that mean that God loves me when I’m reading blogs instead of reading His “official” Word?
We often throw around loosely the term, “God loves you”, yet when put into a context like you have done in this post, the words begin to truly mean something. As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think this would make a good Gospel tract! I truly believe the message in this post needs to be more widely heard in that it strikes a chord in all of us.
tl”To those who do not work in the nursery, even after being guilted and given dirty looks… God loves you!”
Thank you Alan! I’ve tried looking after the little ones, but alas, for someone who’s never had children… well, I’ll just say that EVERY TIME, I left with a splitting headache!
I hope God loves me for standing at the door and greeting adults and children every Sunday. I can do that with MUCH JOY!
God loves us because of His goodness and grace, not because of anything good in us. That takes the pressure off, even if a lot of man-made expectations are thrust upon us.
Thanks, Alan
Everyone,
Thank you for the comments. It seems that this topic is dear to many people, and I’m glad, since the topic is the love of God. I wish I could say that I love as God loves, but of course, I don’t. I’m learning.
By the way, I did not say this in the post, but if anyone wants to add their own item to my list, feel free to do so.
-Alan
Thanks for stopping by. I was out of country for awhile and just know getting around to blog stuff.
I also like the Close your eyes and bow your head. Glad God still loves me despite it all
pecheur,
I’m also glad that God loves me in spite of it all – and not just in spite of all the things in this list. God loves me (and everyone) in spite of all of myself.
-Alan
Alan, Great post.
People need to hear this and they need to see it in the eyes from the hearts of Christians. And for that to happen we must believe this ourselves. And we must practice this same kind of love of God described for how we’re to practice it, in 1 Corinthians 13 (vv 4-7).
Thanks.
Ted,
Thank you for the encouraging words. I know that you’ve been writing about similar themes. I agree that we all need to learn to walk in the love of God and offer this same love to others.
-Alan
I love this. Hope you don’t mind me linking this from my blog.
Bino,
Welcome to my blog. Feel free to use this post.
-Alan
“Hinds Feet on High Places” by Hannah Hurnard is the book Jesus is currently using to speak these same beautiful words to me. I’m learning more to trust in His love for my identity.
thank you, Alan
As an atheist the difference between you and I? I would have said
“I love you”
Esther and Stephanie,
Thanks for the comments!
Dirk,
I would say, “I love you” also. Most Christians (unfortunately) have been taught that God is mad at them if they don’t “toe the line.” As an atheist, you don’t have to worry about that. 🙂
-Alan
Thanks. I needed to hear this today. Yesterday at Sunday meeting, I almost felt shunned by some of the church leadership because I choose not to be burdened by programs.
btw, we started a prayer group Saturday for parents of adult children. It became clear that one reason this is needed is that parents whose children are troubled as adults feel guilt and shame that their not allowed to share in the “church.”
Alan-
What a perfect post. This is the message so many (in and out of “the church”) need to hear!
You are awesome. Your blog blesses my socks off. Just thought you should know.
Great post! I can so relate to so much of it (still can’t fake a smile too well though!)
But let’s remember also to not judge those who do close their eyes and bow their heads, and who do volunteer for the programs, and who’s kids do memorize all the verses etc. God loves them too!
MamaT,
You’ve described some of my best friends… I certainly wouldn’t judge them. 🙂
-Alan
Excellent! Excellent list!
Unfortunately the church is FULL, FULL, full, full of all those things on the list but I’m soooooo grateful that God loves us all anyway. Even the ones pushing all that stuff on the list at us.
Nike,
Yes, God loves all of us, even those who push the things I’ve mentioned and more.
-Alan