By faithadmin
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16
This is the bible reading we used in chapel at our Primary School this week and every time I hear this beautiful verse I am struck by the overwhelming love of God. This is the love that we celebrate and live at Faith in all circumstances.
One of my daughters regularly got into mischief. We would often say that trouble seemed to follow her and, no doubt, she sometimes sought it out. She has an outgoing, infectious and cheeky personality that draws people to her, and she knew that she could ‘get away’ with things with a kind word and a smile. When I would be chatting to her about something that had happened and I spoke of my disappointment, she would say ‘I get that. But I love you!’ I would just melt.
Love can transform everything. Whether it is a conversation between father and daughter or a life of despair and rejection, love is the miracle that creates change. God’s love for us, as shown in the work of Jesus, makes us different. I can’t see the world as a place without hope when I know that God himself is part of my life. God’s love is active; it changes how I think about myself and how I interact with others. It also gives me the confidence to know that whatever happens to me God has the words ‘I get that, and I love you!’ I know that God is in control and that what happens to me matters.
God’s promise that we will have eternal life is life-changing. Eternal life doesn’t start when we are called home from our physical life, rather it starts with God’s action in our life today. He offers us a way to overcome those things that sap us of life. Broken relationships, broken dreams and broken bodies are renewed by God’s love. We find it in his word and his people. Praise God for his love.
Pastor Greg