DaySpring Hope & Encouragement Bible - Flipbook - Page 96
I LOVE YOU, IF . . .
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.
J O H N 3:16
We all received different messages from our “family of origin” growing up.
We are all products of how we were raised . . . both good and bad. Some
may have received messages associated with love that were conditional—
messages like, I’ll love you if you do what I ask of you; and then if you didn’t
do what they asked, love was withheld. One soon learns in that environment:
If I please and achieve, I am loved; if I don’t, I am not. The message of that
kind of love is conditional. The message of unconditional love simply says,
I love you, period! No conditions—I love you for who you are and will provide
a safe environment for you to thrive and grow at your pace with established
boundaries at each natural stage of maturity. Unconditional love gives without
expecting anything back.
Christ was, is, and will always be the quintessential example of what
unconditional love looks like. He never once said to anyone, “Hey, you, go get
cleaned up. Fix that problem of yours first, and then come follow me.” To the
tax collector that everyone despised, he said, let’s have dinner (Luke 5:27-32).
To the Samaritan woman going to a well to draw water at an inconspicuous
time of day so that no one would see her, he not only spoke to her but also told
her things about herself that only she would have known, opening the door for
Jesus to share about the true living water which would allow her to never thirst
again (John 4:7-26). Jesus exudes love because he is love! Jesus is our go-to
model when we are struggling to show another person unconditional love
too—because while we were sinners, he died for us (Romans 5:8).
S U S A N G O S S , We’re Still in This
Lord, help me to fully grasp the depth of your unconditional love,
and help me to share this amazing love with others.
