“Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love.” Ephesians 1:4 (MSG)
A while back, a man came into my office and said, “I’m a Christian, but I don’t feel like I’m going anywhere in my spiritual growth. I’m kind of stuck in neutral.”
I said, “What do you think the problem is?”
He said, “I think my problem is I just don't love God enough.”
I said, “That's not your problem. Your problem isn’t that you don't love God enough. Your problem is that you don't understand how much he loves you.”
Love is always a response to love. The Bible says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). When you say, “I don't love God,” it's because you don't understand just how much he really loves you.
In fact, God loved you even before he created the earth. The Bible says it like this in the Message paraphrase: “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love” (Ephesians 1:4).
To understand your life’s purpose and calling, you have to begin with God’s nature. God is love. Love is the essence of his nature.
And the focus of his love is you. You were created to be loved by God.
If you grasp that profound truth and let it sink into your soul, you will find great strength, confidence, and peace. God created the entire universe in a specific way to support the existence of human beings so that he could create you and love you.
The most important thing you can know is that God created you to love you. The most important thing you can do is to know and love him back. Loving God back is your number one purpose in life. Ants and snails do not love, but you were made in God’s image, so you can love.
Most people go their entire lives missing their purpose. They know all kinds of things—stock quotes, sports scores, the latest technology—but they don’t know God. They miss out on discovering the depth of God’s love and all the blessings he has in store for them.
But that doesn’t have to be true for you. God’s priority for your life is clear. It’s important to serve, obey, and trust him. But your first purpose is to love him.
What is your response to the truth that your first calling is to enjoy a relationship with God?
Think about your relationship with God. Is it more about rules, regulations, and rituals than about love? If so, why?
Why do you think it’s so hard sometimes to stop doing and, instead, to just rest in God’s love?
Have you trusted Jesus with your life?
You may know about God, but do you know him personally? That relationship with God begins by trusting in him through his Son, Jesus Christ, and it will continue through eternity in heaven.
You cannot earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).
If you’re ready to confess your sins and to trust Jesus with your life, start with this prayer:
“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in Jesus, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.
“I confess my sin, and I submit to Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Jesus, I want to follow you and serve you. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In your name I pray. Amen.”
If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.
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