1 John 3:19-24

When I first met Emma, who is now my wife, I fell in love hard and fast. After a few weeks she confessed that often when she dated people, they fell in love with her too quickly and the relationship became uneven and she had to finish with them. I laughed on the outside and panicked on the inside, knowing I was in trouble. Over the next few weeks, I felt incredibly insecure. Was this all one sided and was I going to get hurt? So I behaved as well as I could and went on a charm offensive, which was probably her hope the whole time. After a few weeks she confessed that she loved me too.

We all need to know that we are loved to have strong relationships. The same is true spiritually. We need to know that God loves us and is for us, especially when we have made mistakes.

When situations in our life go badly, it is easy to look towards heaven and start asking questions of God’s care for us. The pain that we all experience in life causes us to question. Or, when we do not see the transformation that we expect to in our lives. We are doing everything right and we still aren’t where we want to be. The temptation is to wonder, whether this relationship is one sided.

When our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts.

The source of our insecurity is not God but our hearts. So, when we feel insecure, rather than listen to what our hearts are saying, we are wise to look at what God says about our relationship. How he has expressed love for us in such a profound sacrifice and how he gives us his Spirit to live in us.

When my phone loses reception, I do everything that I can to find a place where I can reconnect. I find a high place, turn off the camera, check the WiFi. Or if all else fails, I wait until I’ve got to a place of better reception and call back later. In the same way, when God feels distant or disconnected, do everything that you can to find a place where the signal is stronger and you can reconnect with him.

In a world that whispers you are not enough, we get an incredible confidence from a God who loves us even when we least deserve it.

Reflect

• How has God already expressed his love for you?
• What can do you do when you feel distant from God to reconnect?

Respond

Today is a great day to connect with God. Split your prayer time into two: first, spend a few minutes sharing with God your love for Him. If it feels unnatural, just say I love you. When you have finished, just wait and listen and allow God to respond. Write down anything that you feel he might be saying to you (don’t second guess it).