Read
1 John 3:1-3
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (NIV)
Reflect
Have you ever had love lavished on you – even for a few moments? I am not sure I even know what lavished looks or feels like. One thing is for certain if love has been lavished on me it was not for a long time. Not because of anyone else’s actions, but because I am who I am, and I would be objecting or trying to figure out what someone wanted from me.
But the Father has lavished his love on us. The word lavish presents a picture of extravagant abundance. Being lavish borders on being wasteful. God’s love is even more than what a wonderful mother showers on her infant. God’s love and care are supplied to us all the time. God’s love is a constant bombardment of affection and care. We may be as oblivious as an infant to the presence of his love, but God still continues to pour his love into our lives.
God’s love flows into us deeply and redefines who we are at the very core of our soul. When we open our hearts to God’s love, we are transformed by it. We are remade, regenerated into children of God. Some of us need to trust and open our hearts completely to the love of the Father.
It is God who makes us his children, not us. We cannot earn that status. It is a gift of God’s great love. Because we are sinners, we don’t understand God’s love for us at first. We don’t even know we need him until we realize we are stuck in sin and cannot save ourselves. We become God’s children when we receive Jesus as our Saviour (John 1:12).
Not one of us is worthy of God’s love. We cannot earn it. God just loves us. We would not be God’s children if he were not already deeply in love with us. How amazing is that!
Pray
Father God, grant us the ability to grasp how wide and deep and high and long is your love for us, expressed in all that Jesus has done for us, that we may be your children. In his name, Amen.
