Don't Take God's Love For Granted
As children, many of us may have sung, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” But what have we done with that knowledge? Many of us undervalue the significance of God’s love in our lives. The fact that Jesus loves us should not remain stagnant. It should prompt us to develop an authentic, purposeful relationship with the One who loves us the most.
God’s love is not the conditional love we are accustomed to, and it knows no limits. The very author of creation loves us so much more than we can comprehend! He is always seeking us. This concept can be difficult for us to understand, but it is proven time and time again in Salvation History.
First, God created us, and to exist is to be loved (CCC 301). Our entire being is sustained by God saying, “I love you,” in every moment of every day. Unfortunately, we chose sin and installed the rift of Original Sin between us. God let us face the consequences of our actions because to do otherwise would be to disrespect our free will, but he continued to reach out to us through covenants and prophets. Time after time, we rejected him. At this point, many of us would have given up in a typical relationship. But God’s love trumps all other forces, and he never tires of searching for our hearts. God pushed forward again to try to break down our walls, and in the ultimate act of love, Jesus willingly descended to be humbled, reviled, and broken by the very ones he chose to save. He gave himself entirely so that we might know and love him. We celebrate God’s infinite love for us in every Mass, and the Eucharist is our most intimate interaction in the most personal relationship possible. Every Mass, God forgives us and reaches out his hand, asking us to give him another chance.
How often do we glance at the very essence of Love and cast it out as insignificant? How often do we trample on God’s heart and disregard the miracle that he still desires a relationship with us, regardless of what we’ve said or done?
As our Lenten season of sacrifice comes to a close, I invite you to reevaluate your relationship with God. He should not only be your first priority, but also your constant soulmate. We all seek something. We all ache for one who will know us entirely, understand us completely, and love us unconditionally. Who can understand your heart better than the One who fashioned it?
Who can love you more than the One who whispers those three magic words in every moment of your existence?
