a reminder of God's love
Military Wife Devotional
I was sitting with my youth group girls this week and another leader asked the question, “What would you say if someone told you they loved you ‘no matter what’?”
A small voice from the other side of the circle said, “Wow.”
Another girl chimed in with, “That’s comforting.”
I began to think something was wrong with me. These high schoolers were standing in awe of a proposed uncircumstantial love, and my first reaction to the question was, “but do you really? Would you love me if I _____?”
And then, after a few moments of silence, my reservations were confirmed when a girl spoke up and said honestly, “I would ask, why.”
We’ve heard it said that God is supposed to love us no matter what. But why? We’re a hot mess most of the time. Why would anyone continue to love us day after day?
Today, I want to help remind you of God’s love for you.
Let’s take a look at a couple verses the apostle John wrote in the New Testament book of 1 John.
“God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4: 9-10 NLT
Before we even get into these verses, we have to understand that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). He is the exact definition of love. And in order to show his love, he created people. Love needs a recipient and isn’t it great that we fill that role!
Because he loves you and created you to be loved, he cares for you. He cares for you in the midst of your sinful mess. He loves you and cares for you even when you eye-roll the military. He loves you and cares for you even when you lose your mind on your kids because they left their dirty socks on the floor AGAIN!
He loves us and cares for us so much that He gives us a choice. We can accept the love or disregard it. His love is an open invitation, but we don’t always have to accept it. That’s the choice He gives.
Because He saw how sinful and messed up this world could be, He gave us a rescue option. He sent his only Son to this earth to die as a solution to the problem of sin.
And if we accept all of that, we are able to receive eternal life and live in the presence of God’s love forever.
Great, that’s all wonderful in theory, but what happens when we get stuck in our own junk and need to be reminded of God’s love for us?
How do we climb out of our self-sabotaging behaviors?
How do we believe we are lovable again?
How do we learn to accept God’s love?
I have a few ideas:
1. Stand on the truth
If you haven’t gone through my series, Lies Military Wives Believe, you need to! We highlight several lies you may be believing as a military wife, but at the heart of that series is learning how to flip the script in your own mind -- how to replace lies with truth.
2. Connect with nature
Get outside and enjoy the warm sunshine on your face. God created the whole earth and feeling sand between your toes, lake water on your face, or snow on your tongue can help remind you of how much God has given us to enjoy on this planet. His love is wide!
3. Say it out loud and on purpose
There are times I confuse myself thinking because I love God, I also fully accept God’s love. Those are, in fact, two very different things and on the days I don’t feel loved, I have to be intentional. I will say, out loud and on purpose, “Heather, God loves you. God loves you as you mother your children and take care of your family. God loves you even when you don’t remember to pray every morning. God loves you no matter how many times you screw up. God still loves you, Heather. You are a lovable woman.” Mostly you’ll hear me repeating these lines in the shower through tears, but we must do what must be done!
4. Get around people
Just as we need to connect with nature, we also need to make sure we are making human relationships a priority. Satan loves to see you disconnect and isolate. It’s one of his favorite tactics to bring you down. When you feel like you need to be reminded of God’s love, plan a coffee date with a friend. Human connection holds power and we aren’t meant to do life alone.
You are loved.
You are seen.
You are not alone.
You are worthy.
You are a gift.
I’d love to leave you with a prayer and a short question to ponder as you move forward with your day.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your love. I am grateful, even though I don’t always show it well, for how well you love me. God, help me to be reminded of your love today. Be with me as I learn to accept it. Amen.
Question
What is one way you saw God’s amazing love today?