We’ve all heard John 3:16 before. Especially if you were raised in a churchgoing household, like myself. “For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
What does this really mean?
Well, it means that God loves you no matter who you are, what you’ve done, or how you were raised. He loves you enough to watch a part of Himself die. All so that we have a chance at forgiveness. For Jesus is one of God’s three expressions: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This love has existed since the very beginning, and will remain forevermore.
God created each and every one of us. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;” He knew about us and had a plan for us from the very beginning.
He decided that humans shall be made in His image, unlike any other creature on this Earth. In Genesis 1:26, it is said, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” In this verse, God refers to Himself using words like ‘we’ and ‘our.’ This is because God modeled humans after all three expressions of Himself. Like the Father, humans are creative, able to create new worlds using imagination and create incredible structures with physical tools.
We are created to love and sacrifice for those we love like Jesus, the Son. Humans possess wisdom and communicate with one another to become closer, like the Holy Spirit.
To create something with your own hands is a labor of love. For example, I am a fan of crochet, and every stitch of my current project is done with love. I plan to turn yarn and eyes and stuffing into a plushie I can look upon with pride.
God feels the same way about you, for He crafted each and every one of you with His hands. The Bible even says so in Psalm 139:13: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” God made you, so He looks upon you with pride and love. I choose to believe that God took the seventh day of creation as rest to marvel at what He made.
To switch gears slightly, God wants you to love yourself. For loving yourself shows faith in Him.
Our God is not one to make mistakes, ever. So, you are exactly as God intended.
You, of course, will change. That is another beautiful property of humanity. However, God made you and He did a perfect job, for He is incapable of doing anything less. You are worthy of love, and if you cannot find it from others on Earth, or even if you can, look to God as the ultimate loving Father.
Appreciate what qualities of His can be found within you. For example, you may know exactly how to comfort someone, or be an excellent hat maker, or a creative writer. You are made in the image of God, and therefore you are beautiful. Not because of your hair or your clothes or your body, but because you are made to be like God in all the ways that matter.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, many of us are left without a romantic partner to celebrate with. However, we are never without love. Many of us have family and friends who we love and care for.
The most important thing to remember this Valentine’s Day is that God loves us.
He made you in His own image. He planned your life from the beginning of time. Finally, He gave His Son – a part of Himself – so that we may be saved and have a close relationship with Him.
God loves us, so we should too!
Always know you are loved. May you be blessed beyond measure and held through your trials.
Sincerely,
Isabel Lugo <3
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