Posts Tagged ‘unconditional love’

A Loving Daddy

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

A most amazing thing happened to me yesterday. It began in the morning as I prepared for the last session of a women’s retreat where I was the speaker.  Suddenly one word popped into my mind: Daddy.

a loving daddy

I sensed instantly that God had spoken, but what was He trying to tell me? He couldn’t be referring to my earthly father—he died three years ago. Besides, I’d always called him Dad, never Daddy.

“What are You telling me?” I asked. The answer came back, “You’re my daughter, and I delight in you.”

Those words enveloped me in love. They brought an image to mind—that of me, an adult woman, nestled in Almighty God’s strong and protective arms. Accepted simply because I belong to Him, not because of accomplishments or performance. “Daddy, Daddy,” I whispered, reveling in the sacredness of that moment.

Less than five minutes later, I entered the main meeting room. It was empty, save for one woman who approached me, Bible in hand. She greeted me with a smile and hug. Then she said, “I just had a wonderful time with my Daddy.”

My jaw dropped. “What did you say?” I asked, wanting to be sure I’d heard correctly.

“I just had a wonderful time with my Daddy—my heavenly Father.”

She didn’t need to explain. I knew exactly to whom she referred, and my heart nearly skipped a beat. Once again, God’s love enveloped me. I sensed Him inviting me to a sweeter, more intimate relationship with Him.

The day passed. The retreat ended, and I boarded a plane for home. I spent the first leg of my journey answering emails and watching the news on TV. Then I had to change planes. Guess what happened? The televisions didn’t work, and my computer battery ran out of power. I decided to pass time reading a book I’d recently purchased.

I flipped through the books randomly and stopped on page 229 for no particular reason. Once again my jaw dropped. The title on that page read, “A Daddy Who Loves Me.”

Three times in one day, God communicated His love to me in a way as never before. I’m awestruck, feeling wooed by this One who proved His love for me on the cross. And I’m filled with anticipation at how our relationship will grow as a result of what He did this weekend.

You know what? God loves you in the same way. Scripture says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). No matter what your emotions tell you, know that He loves you unconditionally. He delights in you, and He wants an intimate relationship with you. May you discover the depth, length, width, and height of His love in new ways today!

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A Newborn, a Panicked Mother, and the Fear of Rejection – 2/2

Friday, February 12th, 2010

What causes a 20-year-old unmarried woman to deny she’s pregnant despite the obvious, and then dispose of her newborn son’s body in a dumpster? As I mentioned in my last post, one psychiatrist suggest it was the fear of rejection, “of some sort of disapproval from others.”

I have a hunch the psychiatrist is right. I’m reading Soul Cravings by Erwin McManus, and he writes that mankind has been created with an innate desire to be loved. We desperately crave to belong, to be accepted, to win the approval of others. Sometimes that desire for love, and the fear of losing it, is so strong that we do illogical or inappropriate things to try to satisfy and keep it.

Take, for instance, a young woman who sleeps with every guy she dates. Chances are good that she’s not really enjoying herself. In reality, she’s simply trying to fill a God-created vacuum. Her soul longs for unconditional love, but her attempts to earn it aren’t working because she’s going about it in the wrong way.

Consider a man or woman with perfectionistic tendencies. We might view such folks as high-achievers and credit them for their drive to excel. Truth is, sometimes perfectionism masks a desire for love. Their hard work is nothing more than an inverted fear of rejection. If I land this deal and please the boss, then he’ll approve of me.  

The fear of rejection is subtle and seldom recognized as the root cause for many inappropriate actions. It has the power to imprison, to take captive, and to destroy. How, then, can we escape its grip?

By accepting the fact that we are unconditionally loved by our Creator. We can’t buy His affection, nor must we earn it through good behavior. He values us, He wants us, He pursues us. He made us for relationship with Himself , and it’s only in that relationship with Him that our soul’s craving for love is fully satisfied.

When we finally grasp the depth of His desire and love for us, the fear of rejection loses its power over us. We become alive, truly alive, and confident in knowing that Jesus will never leave or forsake us. Others may turn their backs on us or consider us disposable, but Jesus will be our forever Friend.

Psalm 27:7-10 say, “Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming’ Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.”

Do you hear God’s invitation to intimacy with Him? “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.” These words describe our innate inner tug for intimacy with God. He invites us to conversation with Him, and our hearts find fulfillment when we say yes.  

The psalmist’s cry for love and acceptance echoes the cry of the rest of mankind. Do not reject me! Don’t leave me! Don’t abandon me! And his last statement reveals the source of his assurance: The Lord will hold me close.

Believing God’s unconditional and never-ending love for us is the only answer to overcoming the fear of rejection. And modeling that love to those around us will help them in their journey toward wholeness, too.

May He wrap you in His arms today and assure you that He’ll always be there for you.

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Lest We Forget

Friday, May 8th, 2009

What’s our attitude toward the true and living God? Do we truly understand His strength? Do we stand in awe of His unconditional love for us? Does the thought of who He is nearly take our breath away? Or does our attitude toward Him fall into the “ho-hum” category, or worse yet, do we simply forget about who He is?

Psalm 106:7 says, “Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miracles. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea.”

My heart breaks when I read this verse. How could the Israelites witness the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of food and water in the wilderness…and then turn their backs on the One who performed these miracles on their behalf? You’d think that, after seeing God’s power and protection so vividly demonstrated, they’d never forget Him or fall into idol worship. And yet, sadly, that’s exactly what they did.

I’m guilty, too. I read about God’s strength and love and faithfulness in His Word, but worry still creeps into my thoughts. I see evidence of His limitless power and intelligence in creation, but fear still sneaks in. I see Him answer my prayers, but doubts still linger. What’s with that?

I ought to be more than impressed by this God! I ought to be blown away by His acts of kindness and His miracles. And my behavior ought to reflect that attitude by a willingness to say yes to whatever He asks, an ability to trust Him when I don’t understand His ways, and peace and joy that passes comprehension even when life stinks.

“God, guard our minds from forgetting Your kindnesses to us. Guard us from falling into a ho-hum attitude about who You are. Continually remind us about who You are lest we forget and go our own way.”

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Forever Friends

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

A popular song at weddings contains the lyrics something like this: “Whither thou goest, I will go. Whither thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people will be my people, and thy God my God.” For years I thought those words beautifully described the commitment made on one’s wedding day to one’s spouse. But then I looked up the context and realized they were originally spoken by a young woman to her mother-in-law! They describe the unconditional friendship between women!

The story’s found in Ruth 1. Naomi describes herself as a bitter woman, having experienced the death of her husband and two sons. Now she’s headed back to her homeland in a miserable state. Chances are good that she was a prickly person at this point. Difficult to love, perhaps. Not a ton of fun to be with. I might think twice before choosing to devote my life to her, but Ruth had no second thoughts.

Bless her heart, Ruth committed herself to Naomi despite her prickly personality. She had nothing to gain by doing so. Nothing. Her motives were pure, her attitude commendable in every way. “Wherever you go, I’ll go,” Ruth told Naomi. I’m your forever friend.

Ruth modeled Jesus’ love for us. Even when we’re prickly, He loves us. Even when we’re not much fun to be around, He cares for us. His love goes on and on and on. Do we model Jesus’ love as Ruth did? Do we love others unconditionally? Do we love them even though they’re prickly? Do we love them no matter what?

Personally, I think I have some room to grow in this department.

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