I grew up knowing that Jesus loves me, learned it in Sunday School, sang songs about it in youth group and know that's why Jesus died on the cross, because He loves me. The problem is that our culture over uses the word "love."
"I just love this movie!"
"Have you read that? It's my favorite, I love it!"
Even fourteen year olds are saying it to each other after a week of "dating."
You can see why I was confused and totally underrated the love of Jesus. The problem with my entire life was my misunderstanding of His affection for me. In my mind He was more interested what I did for Him than how I felt, how I see things or even my interests. I wouldn't have actually come out and said that, and I'm not even sure I knew I thought that way, I didn't understand the depth of His love, so I didn't even see my error.
A few months ago I went to a women's retreat at my church and there we were given keys with a single word on them. The word on my key was "rejoice" but I didn't get it. I didn't understand what God wanted me to rejoice about. As always I was self-centered and looking inward instead of the possibility that the answer was something outside of myself. A leader helped me realize what God was trying to show me, He didn't want ME to focus on rejoicing on something, He wanted me to recognize that HE rejoices over me. While Jesus does love me, there was something so special in learning that He rejoices at the thought of me; when He looks at me He feels joy or great delight (Merriam-Webster's definition of "rejoice"). Many times we forget that God has feelings, we forget that He feels things for us. Let this sink in, He feels all warm and fuzzy when He looks at you. He DELIGHTS in you. He doesn't just think about good plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11) He feels gentle, tender, loving feelings for you!
THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE LOOKS AT YOU WITH GREAT JOY.
I just want you to see that, because that fact changed my life. My life changed because I was no longer striving, I was allowed to enjoy Him and let Him enjoy me. I had a wall built up between me and Him, like I could only love Him from a distance and not reach out and touch him. That wall not only kept me from Him but kept Him from me, I would only allow Him to love me how I thought I deserved to be loved. I had Him in this tiny box of my own understanding when He is so. Much. More. Let Him out of the box you have Him in. Let Him out and let Him love you the way He wants to love on you, the way you should be loved! He wants to lavish His love on you, but so many times we believe that we were only made to love Him that we forget we were created for Him to love us back.
Rest in His love and be filled.
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