Love is not earned. It is given.

What we want more than anything else in the world is love. That is how God characterizes Himself – “God is love” – and even the secular artists cannot stop singing about it. But the problem is that we try to earn it. We try to earn love for ourselves from those who matter to us. And how? By being good, giving gifts, submitting to their wishes, performing, etc. Think about the last time you tried to earn someone’s love. What did you have to do?

The last time I tried to earn someone’s love, I was at a job interview and I had to sell myself. I had to tell that person all my credentials, experience, and education, and convince that person why I should be hired.

But God doesn’t work that way. Actually, He gets offended when we try to earn His love for us. He gets offended because when we try to earn it, we cheapen His love. As if it is something we can obtain by trying…

“… the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved and gave Himself for me.” Gal. 2:20

What is living by faith? It is the opposite of living by the law. Living by the law means we are trying to earn God’s love for us by our own effort. So, living by faith is the opposite of it. It means we are living our lives in joy and freedom knowing that God loves us and will never stop loving us.

How would it change your outlook on life if you knew that you are truly loved by the most awesome person in the world? (Meditate on this today!)

PH