Sometimes it’s hard to accept love. Loving other people may be easy for you – natural, like breathing. Perhaps you pour yourself into helping others, even to the point of exhaustion. Yet, you feel a little lonely. You have no problem giving love but can’t seem to receive love. If this is you, then God has an important word for you.
Jesus and Identity
And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).
Jesus had been learning from John the Baptist for several years. Jesus knew he had a unique mission in life. He knew he belonged to the Father. He had known it for some time, but he was at a crossroads. His time with John the Baptist would soon come to an end. Jesus had to go his own way. It was going to be a difficult, lonely road.
Jesus needed to hear something from God.
Three Things God Wants You to Know
One day, as Jesus was being baptized by John, he heard the voice of God. That voice revealed to him that he was the Beloved of God. Jesus heard from his heavenly Father, the three things we should always hear from our heavenly Father.
If you will live in the truth of these three things, you will find strength in those moments when you feel alone and burned out.
1. You are mine.
You are my son …” (Mark 1:11)
God claims you as his own. You belong to God and nothing can ever change that.
When the first-century Christians were facing terrible persecution Peter reminded them of who they were: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession …” (1 Peter 2:9).
2. I love you.
You are my Son, whom I love …” (Mark 1:11,)
God loves you with an unconditional, unending, indestructible love. It’s a love that is hard to fathom and hard to accept, precisely because we know we don’t deserve it. Yet, it is the source of our strength and our power.
You cannot experience the fullness of life until you unashamedly and wholeheartedly accept God’s love (John 10:10).
The Apostle Paul asks the question: What can destroy us? Answer: Nothing. He sings his reasons:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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” (Rom. 8:38-39).
3. I am proud of you.
You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11).
God not only loves you — he is actually proud of you. Me? You might say, incredulously. Yes! You!
God is proud of you for being you. He’s proud of you for trying. He’s proud of you for waking up every morning and breathing in and out and going out there and giving it your best. He is proud of you because you are his creation.
When my daughter graduated high school I wanted to make something special for her. I could buy her a lot of things – but, I wanted to give her something I had made, something that took time to create. So, I drew a picture of her – a pencil drawing.
Forty years ago, I enjoyed drawing, but I hadn’t done it in years. The final product was amateurish, at best. But, I love that drawing. I love it because it is a drawing of my daughter. I love it because I put a lot of love into it. I love it, not for its intrinsic value (no one would want to buy it), but for what it represents.
That’s how God loves you – not for what you can do – but simply for who you are – his creation! You are God’s work of art, created with love … something he put a lot of time into.
He is proud of you! Feel HIS love! Take it in! Bathe in his undying love for you!
