Devotion: Love Deeply
Love Deeply
Please review the scripture from the weekend: Isaiah 43:1-4
A core tenet of Christianity is that our God loves us and is always with us no matter how far we fall or what we’ve done. The entire faith is built on Jesus’s sacrifice which demonstrated that idea. Yet often our shame and worry make us feel alone and abandoned–isolated from God. When we dwell on our failures or painful experiences, it gets hard to believe that we’re not alone, and that God is with us, helping to bear that burden.
But, to paraphrase Pastor Greg, if we don’t set our values and let them guide our choices, then the choices we make determine our values. I believe the idea that God loves us and is always with us should be more than just a tenet; it should be a deeply held value that lives within us and guides the way we act and react to the world around us.
Of course, life is hard and we are imperfect. There will always be times that we despair or feel ashamed. But in those times, if we choose to give up and wallow in the negativity, our values become those of isolation and cynicism. If, instead, we set the love and companionship of God as a central value of our lives, our choices during the negative times of life will be healthier and constructive. The goal is not to avoid the hard parts of life or pretend they don’t exist, but rather to respond to them with the confidence of one who knows God is always with them. When we strive for that, we’ll have better relationships with ourselves, our world, and our God.
Holy Lord, we give you so much thanks for never abandoning us, no matter how tough life gets. Help us to live by that knowledge and respond to the imperfections of our world and ourselves as people loved by You.
Amen.
Written by Preston Thiemann
Preston Thiemann and his wife, Rachel, live in Lincoln with their daughter, Clara. He is the Web Content Coordinator for the ASEM Marketing team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he’s worked since April 2015. At Sheridan, he also plays guitar with the Praise Band and is active in Sheridan’s 20s & 30s group called Second Quarter. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies and spending time with friends.