I mean, ain’t we all? At the end of the day, all people need a few basic things: air to breathe, clean water, nourishing food, shelter from the elements, and love. Babies can literally perish from “failure to thrive” when they aren’t loved. Love releases neurotransmitters like oxytocin and dopamine, the “feel good” chemicals that are also released by sex, chocolate, and exercise. Being and feeling loved has been shown to lead to a longer life expectancy, higher survival rates in high risk surgeries, and increased pain relief. In fact, being in a committed loving relationship has been shown to decrease the overall risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, improve immune health, and lead to faster recovery from illness.
I recently watched “Jesus Revolution”; if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. In short summary, it is based on the true events that were catalyzed when a long-haired, Jesus-loving, hippie preacher convinced a (very) conservative, straight-laced, uptight Baptist minister to join forces and to welcome young people in 1960’s California into his congregation. Together, God used each unique man to start a revival in one of the most humanly unlikely places and times, the effects of which still impact us today!
But one of the most poignant statements from the movie came from the hippie preacher, and I paraphrase here, said that the kids using drugs were looking for the same high as the folks in the pews; the approach was just different. For what it’s worth, I think the same thing about politics today; we all want the same things for our country, we just have a different way of trying to get there. And while I’m on this soap box, I often compare it to parenting; all loving parents want the same wonderful things for the children, in the grand scheme of things, we just take different approaches on how to help them get there.
But I digress. The point here is that every person you see needs to be loved, to feel loved, and to show love. It is an absolute universal truth. As parents, we should be modeling God’s love for our children, so that they know what safe, secure, unconditional love the Father has for them. Having children, I suspect, is the closest I will ever come on this side of Heaven to truly understanding how much God loves us. When I look at my babies, who are practically grown folks now, I know without a shadow of a doubt that I would lay down my life for them. And yet, God sent his Son to die for me. ME! A person who has a heart that wants to be good, but is tainted daily by a list of sins I am too ashamed to list here. (I suspect you might be a sinner, too?!)
I can only speak for myself when I say that I don’t feel like I deserve the kind of love and favor that God has shown me in this life. But to turn away from it would be to scorn the One who loves me more than any other. It would be worse than my own child refusing my gifts, love, favor, or help, because they didn’t feel worthy of it–that would be ridiculous! Jesus said, in Matthew 7:11, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Perhaps the Bible was true when James (4:2) wrote, “You have not because you ask not.”
What I really wanted to share with you is that Jesus loves you. Truly, unconditionally (no matter what), without holding back, He loves you. YOU. He wants to lavish gifts on you with generosity that is just mind blowing. It may not look like a million dollars arriving in your account out of nowhere, but it might look like a call from a friend at just the right time. It might look like the blessing of a toddlers chubby arms around your neck. It might look like having just enough gas to get to work so you can afford to fill that tank back up. It might look like a little bird stopping on your windowsill or a sunset that takes your breath away. Love might look like peace in the storm.
But I promise, if you ask Him to show you His love, He will come through for you, every time, without fail, if you will keep your eyes and heart open to see it.
As my Memaw always said, “Jesus loves you and so do I.”
Dr. Allison Key
