God loves you. Did you know that? The Bible shows us this when we read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life," -John 3:16 ESV.
Some of us may struggle to see the depth of love contained in that single verse because of the brokenness of our own lives and families. Some of us may have fathers who failed to love us in the way that we needed, so to read something like this just doesn't seem like it could be real. Or maybe you were left feeling abandoned by those who should have loved you. Or maybe someone you love passed away too soon and left you feeling alone, or unloved. Or perhaps due to the choices you have made, or the things you have done, you just can't believe that you are worthy to be loved by anyone, especially God. Maybe you think, "how could the God who created everything, love me?" He can, and He does. If you don't believe me, put it to the test yourself. Read the Bible, start with the gospels, which show the life of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Personally, I don't know how you can read about Jesus' life and not be moved by his love for the broken and hurting people he encountered time and time again.
Love comes from God, because he is love. This does not mean though that there are not consequences for how we live our lives, there are in fact, very real consequences. Love does not leave people to their own destructive behaviors and simply look the other way, that is not love. The Bible shows us God's love for humanity from cover to cover. The Bible also shows us how despite God's repeated efforts to provide a way for us to be with Him, humanity continually rejects His love and we turn our backs on him. The prophet Isaiah beautifully illustrated this and pointed forward to Jesus when he wrote: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all," -Isaiah 53:6 NIV.
No matter what you have experienced in this life so far, the truth is that God loves you and that he sees value in you, and purpose for your life. If you've been rejected by your own family, God is waiting with open arms wanting to have a relationship with you, and wanting to restore your life, and your heart. You don't have to take my word for it though. You can actually put it to the test. Read the gospels of Jesus Christ. Pray. Go to church. Ask God to come into your heart and to show you who He is, and if He is real. That is what I did, and why I became a Christian years ago. I saw how He was changing lives in my family, and I prayed an honest prayer asking Him to show me if He was real. That prayer was answered in a very personal and powerful way, and the next day I gave my life to Jesus.
God is real. Jesus Christ is real. He's as real today as he was 2000 years ago. And He loves you enough to die for you.
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