Read: 1 John 3:1-10
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (v. 1 NIV)
What does it mean that God lavished his great love on us? It means that God bestowed his extravagant love for us in generous quantities. It is above and beyond what we can comprehend, isn’t it?
As an adoptee, I struggled to receive God’s great love for me. I thought I had to earn it somehow or prove myself deserving. Because my mother gave me up at birth, I wrestled with thoughts of self-worth wondering why I was not loved enough to be kept. But God’s love is different. We don’t have to earn it, nor do we even deserve it because of the sin in our lives.
But he demonstrated his great love for us in that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Christ’s sacrifice for us was the deepest expression of his extravagant love that he lavished on us.
The benefit of this love is that we are called children of God, “and that is what we are!” says John. And it will be evident to others that we are his children through our actions as we do what is right and show love for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:10).
When you receive God’s love for you through the sacrifice of his Son, you are God’s child. May you know this truth today! —Nancy Boote
As you pray, receive the great love of God that he lavishes on you, his child.
About the Author
Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church of America, lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband.
