I don’t know why, but special days like my wife’s birthday, our anniversary, Valentines Day, and other holidays heighten my realization of how much I love her. Today is her birthday and I have been thinking about all the years we have celebrated together. I have such a deep, genuine love for her that I can’t imagine life without her. Sometimes I am lazy in showing my love and on all-too-rare occasions I get it right. Just spending time with her brings me joy. I don’t realize how much until we have to be apart for some reason.
My relationship with God has certain similarities. I have known Him for all my life, but there are certain times that I am more aware of the depth of my love for Him than at other times. I often push Him down to second or third place in my priority list and find that I have separated myself from Him. Things happen in my life that causes me to shift and refocus my priorities, putting God first in my life. As I draw near to Him I’m reminded of just how much He first loved me.
God loves you so much! You need to see yourself the way that God sees you. Let his perspective of you change the way you see yourself and others. You won’t be able to love genuinely if you aren’t receiving God’s love for you. Then love those around you with the love you’ve been shown.
1 John 4:9-10 - “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”