Devotionals
Never Knowing How to Be Loved
1 John 3:1
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! NLT
For some strange reason, some of us find it much easier to love than to be loved. Why is that, you ask? Well, it could be due to our upbringing. Maybe there was a lack of love in our childhood that causes us to just not know how to accept love later in life. I suppose that it could be due to past relationships that disappointed and hurt us. Perhaps those heartbreaks have led us to believe that the reason for the pain was our own unworthiness. I don't really understand why some of us have such a problem with accepting the simple fact that others could possibly care for us. Maybe the problem stems from a different source within each of us; only God himself knows for sure.
I attended a funeral service recently for a man who had lived most of his life in this very condition. He was one of the most loving individuals you might ever meet. He was an extremely loving father, devoted husband, and was the type of person who would readily give you the shirt from his back should he believe you needed it. But there was something missing from his life that led him into a vicious cycle of addictions and run-ins with law enforcement. The reason for his outward troubles, I believe, was that inward longing to be loved and cared for that each of us have. He never felt that his own longing was fulfilled. Not because no one loved or cared for him, but because he just couldn't grasp how to accept love from others. His heart overflowed with love for those he knew, but this alone did not help him to recognize he himself was indeed loved. Just before his death, he told a friend he believed no one cared for him. I only wish this man could have seen the grand flower arrangements, the number of people crowded into the funeral home, and the tears flowing from so many eyes during the service.
Dear child of God, you must know- even if you feel no one on earth cares about you, your Father in Heaven loves you very much. He has created Heaven and earth for you, has designed a plan specifically for your life, has provided for your necessities, given you family and friends, and above all, sent His very own Son to earth to die for the sins in your life. We often think of the love a parent has for a child as the greatest love anyone can know. But even this strong bond cannot compare to the love God has for you, for even parents are human and are imperfect. But our Heavenly Father is perfect, omnipotent, and desires to share His love with you. His love is perfect, complete and unconditional.
Accepting this gift of love may be hard for you to do. We all feel a bit unworthy of such an immeasurable offering, but accepting His gift is simple and easy. Call on Him; Cry out to Him. He is ever present to hear our troubles, to catch our tears, or to just wrap His arms around us so we may know the great comfort of having such a wonderful Father.
Dear Lord, I pray we will all be able to recognize we are loved immensely. We are not only loved by others here on earth, but most importantly, by You. Thank You for your immeasurable love. Thank you for loving us even when we feel unworthy of Your love. I praise You for being our one and only perfect Father, and for the perfect relationship You desire to share with each of us. I Love You, Lord.
*Have you ever felt as if there was no one on earth who cared about you?
*Have you been let down by human relationships with those who professed to love you?
*You can always know that God loves you very much because His word is full of stories and verses to remind us of that very fact. Memorizing scripture can help us to remember God's promises of love toward us. Start with the verse listed above, and then add other verses that speak of His great love for His children.
Copyright07-mgw
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 1023 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Michelle Greene Wheeler or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 1023 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.