“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children.” Ephesians 5:1

Dearly Loved Children

This morning I was determined to clean, and I mean really scrub, the bathroom. Upon completion of this chore, I walked into the other room to find that my darling child had been busy making five more messes for me to clean up. If you want to understand the science of mess making, I suggest you follow a three year old around for a day. Some days it seems I just am cleaning and cleaning and cleaning up after him. And yet I don’t think I could love him any more than I do. When I look at him, my heart feels like it is going to explode or melt. There is never a moment when I don’t want to scoop him up in a tight hug and say, “I love you!” But I also get tired. Young children can zap all of the energy right out of us, can’t they? And yet they are the cutest little humans, aren’t they?

We can never understand the magnitude of God’s love for us, His children. The best we can do is say that if I, as a human mother, am capable of this much delight in my messy child, how much more does our Father in heaven delight in each one of us? There are days when it probably seems He is cleaning up mess after mess that we have made. 

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

 And yet, unlike me, God never gets tired.

As my son grows older and his body and mind mature, I will expect more from him. Even now, I am patiently teaching him right from wrong, manners, and to clean up after himself. The level to which I hold my son accountable is directly related to his growth over time and his expected age-appropriate maturity.

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17).

But for now, he is three, and I delight in him. And when he is thirty-three, I will not love him more because he finally learned not to leave my house a mess. I will appreciate that about him, but I will not love him any more for it. I already love him completely. And no matter where you are in your spiritual maturity, God already loves you completely, too.

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Keep growing, but keep knowing that it does not add or detract from God’s love. You are His child, and He delights in you, even now, even today, even as He cleans up the messes of this very moment.  

“Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your all-encompassing love for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”