For God So Loved

When you see every fault. And you know every struggle. And you find every way to point it out, to yourself and to others, so as to condemn, to criticize, even to laugh at. When you are given discernment, but you forget to lift the need in prayer to the Father. And you instead take it as licence to give advice and make corrections.

To yourself and to others.

When you are there, you can be sure of it, yes you can, you have forgotten one thing. You have forgotten just how deeply you are loved.

Because every struggle and every fault, every hard thing that tears you down and throws you out as a lost cause can only be dealt with by the love of God. Every single need of yours that overwhelms you is already dealt with and cared for and conquered by the blood of the Lamb. Do not forget how very deeply you are loved. It is finished. You are loved and accepted and forgiven as is, already.

God has made a way. You need not criticize or judge, or condemn. Remember Christ’s great love for you. He has conquered the grave and finished the battle victoriously for you. It really is finished. You really are deeply loved.

And so are they.

For it’s all God’s territory. Every battle with depression. Every struggle with apathy. Every thought pattern and attitude problem that threatens to control your life with its grip on you and causes you to react as you do to all those faults and struggles. It is all God’s territory. He will take care of it all.

That’s how deeply you are loved.

God loved you so much that he gave up His only Son to die for you (John 3:16). God loved you first before you ever took one step toward Him (Romans 5:8). God chose you to be apart of His family before the foundation of the world was even laid (Ephesians 1:4-5). It’s not that you loved Him, but that He loved you (1 John 4:10). And that kind of love changes you.

So you see every fault and you know every struggle and it weighs you down, but then you see the One Who knows every struggle and fault and yet chooses to not take note or even draw attention to, and it can’t help but change you.

Because you know how deeply you are loved.

And from there, knowing you are deeply loved, you can to come to the Father in prayer for them and for you, knowing Christ Jesus as the Way back to the Father, for yourself and for them. And your discernment turns from criticism to prayer, because you are forever changed by His love. For God so loved. He so loved you.

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“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 ESV