We are loved. What a blessing to know that when we say God loves us, we aren’t talking about a conditional, temporary love that the world embraces. We are talking about a matchless love, a love that is selfless, sacrificial, and supreme. A love beyond our comprehension. And that love for us? God has firmly fixed it at maximum capacity; nothing we do will change that. God isn’t waiting for us to chair more committees, achieve better grades, or drop 5 pounds so that He’ll love us more. And our failures and faults do not make Him love us less. 

God isn’t waiting for us to chair more committees, achieve better grades, or drop 5 pounds so that He’ll love us more. And our failures and faults do not make Him love us less. 

So, what comes next after we recognize that God loves us immeasurably and indescribably?

Living Loved

One meaningful way we can respond to His love is to intentionally choose to live loved. In other words, to allow His love to be the driving force behind our actions, our words, our thoughts – the motivation behind our everything.

I’d like to share three ways we can positively affect our perspective if we choose to live loved.

Looking at Jesus in a New Light

First, living loved means we will look at Jesus in a new light. In our daily lives, Jesus reveals His love in countless ways. He is accessible to us at all times as we call on His name. He lives in our hearts – guiding, encouraging, and empowering us. And He readily offers us His mercy and grace and meets us wherever we are.                                             

Also, we may see His time on earth differently when we look through the lens of living loved. Jesus generously instructed all people in the ways of His Heavenly Father; He showed compassion to sinners and outsiders; He served others with humility and brought forgiveness and healing. And because of love, in a beyond-words heartbreaking way, He obediently put Himself in the position to be mocked, ridiculed, and beaten in an unbelievably cruel fashion. And then He suffered and died in a manner beyond our imaginations, and because of love, He rose again.                                           

When we contemplate what Jesus did on earth AND what He continues to do for us daily, it produces an incredible gratitude. Living loved helps us open our eyes to the complete picture of who Jesus truly is.

Looking at Ourselves in a New Light

Second, living loved means we will look at ourselves in a new light. We were created in God’s image, and our identity is found in Him. In Ephesians 2:10, we are called His masterpiece. Those truths mean that there can be confidence in who we are presently.

But when we live loved, we will long to discover who He created us to become in Him. This Max Lucado quote says it well: “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” This quote highlights the fact that as we strive to be more like Christ, He will reveal how His love can shine through the unique personality He entrusted to us. And we will feel compelled to nurture the gifts He gave us to use them for His glory and to make Him known.                                        

When we try to provide glimpses of Jesus through our lives, we cannot control how people react to us or what they say or think about us. However, God will be smiling, and His approval will trump any negative responses from the world. When we live loved, we loosen our grip on who we visualize ourselves to be and ask God to shape us into who He created us to become.

Looking at Others in a New Light

And third, living loved means we will look at others in a new light. As we delight in His love for us, it is vital to remember that God loves all of us with that same indescribable love. His will is that all will be saved, and He wants to spend eternity with us. There is no hopeless case with God. So, how does that involve us? It means we think of others with a redemption mindset. A belief that all can be restored to a relationship with the Lord. We adopt an attitude that says if God isn’t giving up on anyone, I won’t either.

Living loved means praying that we see others the way God sees them. And speaking of prayer, living loved means we persevere in prayer for others. In fact, as believers, God commands us to pray for others. ALL others: our enemies, those that give us a hard time, and even the annoying lady down the street. Living loved means, we genuinely want others to experience abundant life in Christ.

1 John 4:16

1 John 4:16 says, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

Living loved will change our perspective on Jesus, ourselves, and others. 

So, let’s celebrate that our perfect God loves us perfectly, and lift heartfelt prayers to Him to ask Him to help us live loved.