Romans 5:8 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
From early on in our marriage, I have been blown away by my husband’s ability to forgive without strings attached. I was young when we got married. He is almost 8 years older. I had a lot of plans and ideas of how our marriage should be. (I still do, sometimes, all these years later).
Every, single time, without fail, he has forgiven me when I asked. Not only does he forgive, he also forgets about it and loves me unconditionally.
Over the years, I’ve been brought to me my knees when I realized that this is a picture of God’s love for us. God doesn’t struggle to forgive like I sometimes do. He’s a little like my husband but completely perfect.
When you and I do wrong, he forgives unconditionally. In God’s eyes, that sin is gone and forgotten.
Psalm 103:12: (NLT) He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
Our heavenly Father is amazing. He loves us with such unconditional love, that it is hard to fathom. When we do wrong, he is willing and ready to forgive us. Even though we don’t deserve it, he still sent his son to die. Nothing that we can do would ever help us to earn his love.
Today, let’s look at the definition of unconditional love:
affection with no limits or conditions; complete love
(from dictionary.com)
Friend, God loves us without limits or conditions. His love is a complete love. Imagine this, it doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do, he LOVES you.
This means that we can’t work our way into God’s love. He already loves us. It doesn’t matter if we do the worst thing in the world, he always loves us. That’s because he doesn’t love us for our works. He loves us for who he created us to be.
This kind of love doesn’t come naturally to us as human beings. I know I am way more likely to “love” you if you are nice to me. If you cut me off in traffic, it’s going to be a lot harder for me to love you.
Now this unconditional love doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want. No, God has still given us directions in his Word for how to live. Not only are we to love as he has loved us, but we are to live as the Bible calls us to live. Obedience to the Word of God is so important.
Lately, I’ve been asking Jesus for his eyes. I want to see people with his eyes, not my own human eyes. I want to love as he would love. Because I know his eyes see differently than my eyes.
Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
When he took that pain upon the cross, he loved. Yet, for us human beings, it is so easy to base our love on how loveable that person is. My heart’s desire is to see with his eyes. Not to judge by the clothes a person wears. Or the color of their hair. Or by the words that they speak.
Earlier this fall, I was brought to my knees as I prayed for our government. In that moment I was reminded that God loves them just the way they are. That was a moment of seeing with the eyes of Christ. No, they aren’t perfect. No, many of them aren’t Christ followers. But he loves them.
What if we all loved as Jesus does? What if, instead of judgment, we asked Jesus for unconditional love? What if we asked Jesus for his eyes?
If you enjoyed this content, I’d love if you’d take a moment to share it with a friend or via social media.
