Sometimes its easy to forget just how much we’re all loved. Life can wear us down and some days, it seems like we’re just barely hanging on — and that’s when we risk letting loneliness creep in.
Feeling alone and being truly lonely aren’t the same thing. But one thing they can have in common is feeling loved and needed — believing that someone out there really cares about us. We all have these feelings at some point in or life and its never pleasant. But one universal truth that we must never forget, is that we are all loved. Read that again: every single one of us, is loved.
People of faith and especially the Christian faith, know that God loves us. He cares about us on every level and that love is pure and it’s forever. At times, it can be hard to remember that, because we don’t see God physically in front of us. When Jesus was among us, people were able to see and be close to Him and that must have been the most wonderful experience. To be with Jesus, to hear His voice and listen to His words must have been absolutely incredible. Now though, we live in faith. We simply just know that God is real, even if we don’t see Him physically. But, we do hear His words, because God is always talking to us — He puts those “feelings” into our heart that help us to know right from wrong, to know love, compassion and to feel His love for us. It actually envelops us.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” – John 20:29
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20
“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
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39
God demonstrates His love for each and every one of us every single day. His love isn’t remote 0r philosophical — its real and its powerful beyond comprehension. And the Bible teaches us that since God so loves us, we too need to love each other — to share the love God has for us, with everyone we meet.
Right now, we in faith. But one day, faith will become actual reality and we will stand before Jesus and the Father. Everything we believe about Jesus, every promise of that day that we hold onto and every prayer that we say, will one day give way to the awe inspiring reality of actually standing in His presence.
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” -1 Corinthians 13:12
At the center of 0ur faith is love and its really all about love — God’s love for us, the sacrifice Jesus made for us because of that love, the love we are meant to share with our neighbors — its all centered on giving and receiving love. Make no mistake, no matter how worn out we may feel and no matter how alone we might feel a times we are never alone and we are always loved — always. God knows all of our missteps, He knows all of our dark secrets and our sins and He loves us anyway.
Jesus said “I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2). And He has. That’s why I pray that we let go of anger and fear. That we reject violence and cruelty. I pray that we focus on what is not yet seen and not on the stress of this life. We should forgive one another, love one another and help each other. This life on earth is temporary — finite and fleeting. All the “things” we want and the priorities we have aren’t our whole story. Our story doesn’t end when physical life ends — its just beginning. One day, we will look into the eyes of our Savior and realize that everything we spent our life hoping for, was only the beginning.
May I please ask that today, reflect on love and take refuge in Jesus. Let go of fear, pride and anger. Reject jealousy and feelings of vengeance. Forgive. Help. Give comfort to the stranger. Seek love and compassion in all thought and action. Always know that we’re never really alone, no matter how much we may think we are. God loves you and is always with you and when we let that love fill us, we will naturally want to share it. There’s no better time to do that than now.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
