Am I the only person who has ever felt like God, sometimes, is really not pleased with who I am as a person? Am I the only one who has ever thought, “Does God even really like me?”
Let’s be honest. Sometimes my motives and my thoughts in general can be downright shady.
When I sit and think on stuff like this, my theological brain kicks in and says stuff like, “Come on Caleb, Jesus died on the cross to forgive you from your sins, so therefore you know He LOVES you,” which I think is where most of us are.
We understand that He has forgiven us and that He loves us. I think we look at His relationship with us the way we have a relationship with our children. We love our children. We’re willing to die for kids, but there are moments where we are just rung out from how annoying our children can be.
I’ve heard my parents say to me when I was a kid, “I love you, but I really don’t like you right now,” so what happens with that is we project that onto God. He loves us, but sometimes He just does not like us – or so we think.
How in the world could God take delight in someone who is as messed up as I am?
Like I said, when I allow my brain to start walking these routes I tend to get a tad bit distraught. But this is why it’s important that we have an anchor in life. An anchor that keeps us from drifting into rocks of life.
I want you to read this…
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:3-11).
I want you to think about the idea of adoption. When parents decide to adopt they do their homework. They find out everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
It’s not different with God. He’s done His “homework” on you, so to speak. He’s seen you at your worst. Your sin does not shock or freak Him out. He knows all of the nasty stuff you’ve ever done, and even after all of that, He still chose you.
“Before the foundation of the world” He saw who you would become. He knew you, and HE WANTED YOU! He knew me and wanted me! And here is the thing, we did not just get enough grace to be squeeze past the heavenly guards, by the skin of our teeth. NOPE! Read the text.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.”
So God LAVISHED His Grace upon us. He KNEW what He was doing. He had a plan. There was no mistake in this. He knew what He was getting into and jumped in with BOTH FEET! God did this on purpose! He chose you! He chose me! That is why the Scriptures says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1). Those of us who are in Christ are FREE! We are clean! We are BLAMELESS!
In Him we have OBTAINED AN INHERITANCE!
So I want you to take heart. You are not just loved by God. HE LIKES YOU! He really likes you! This should cause in you a desire to RUN TO HIM. You are a chosen BLAMELESS KID! Blameless kids run to their Father!
You are cherished.