“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16
Christmas is two days away and all I can think of is how great of love our Father has for us. He gave His one and only Son to die for every single one of us even though we did not deserve it. In a couple days it is our Savior’s birthday. His birthday! The day that Jesus came to live among us as a man and face the things we face, to endure the trials we endure. But through all the craziness of shopping, gift wrapping, caroling, visiting family, putting up lights, and hanging the tree…do we stop and remember the reason for Christmas?
It all happened because of one word: Love. Love that God had for us that He sent His only Son to live among us knowing the excruciating death His Son would endure down the road. But He did it because He loves us. He loves us despite our failures, our flaws, our insecurities, our secrets. All because He loves us. There is no greater love than our God.
But, we all go looking for love in everything else around us. We look for it in relationships, in our jobs, in our sports, in our degrees. Yet, God sent His only Son so we could look to Him for that love. His love is the only one that fills us and makes us whole. This world can’t love us the way God can love us. People will fail us every single day because they were not meant to love us 100% of the time unconditionally. We can’t do it because we aren’t perfect. There is only One who can and does and He was born on Christmas Day many years ago for us.
It was through love that God sent His only Son to live among us and teach us, and it was love that sent Christ to the cross to save us. John 3:17 says, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
On this Christmas, remember the love God has for you and let yourself be held in His arms while you go through whatever it is you may be facing. God loves you very much and sent His only Son for you, no matter what you have done or will do. Rest in that peace and Merry Christmas!
With all my love,
Jordan Rains
