Why Am I Here?

The following is a letter I wrote to a friend…might have been to you.

Pam let me read your text last night, so I wanted to answer your question. Why are you here? Two reasons.

First – God loves you! 

Not because you earned it or did anything better than someone else. You can never be good enough so that God would want to love you more. Neither have you been so bad to make God disgusted with you and want to look the other way. He always knew your tendency to do your own thing (be selfish in sinning), but that did not stop Him from loving you. He chose you as an object of His affection. He likes you.

• Today, meditate on John 3:16. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”. Say it aloud. Also, say it by inserting your name in the place of world.  For this is how God loved (insert your name), He gave…Think about the verse all day.
• You don’t have to do this, but I found it is helpful. Purchase a Bible that is a modern translation. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. He wants us to enjoy reading it, understanding it and putting it into practice. Some options I like. The ESV (English Standard Version), HCB (Holman Christian Bible) or the NLT (New Living Translation)

Second – God has uniquely placed you in this world because of all the people that you will know and meet who NEED to know that God loves them also.

 If you don’t let them know that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for them, who will? Notice, I did not say that you need to tell them how bad they are, they already know that. They need to hear that there is a solution to the pain of their own sins. God loves and forgives them. 

You will meet people that Pam and I will never know this side of heaven. You will interact with people that no famous preacher will cross paths with. God has chosen YOU to be the one to let them know how much He loves them. Knowing this, you have a very important position on this planet.

You are not a perfect messenger, BUT you are sharing a perfect message. His grace is on full display, when we tell people, “if He loves me, He can love you also.” Most will hear that message and think that they are too awful, too far gone, too damaged for God to love them. BUT He does.

• While you are meditating on John 3:16 today, INSERT your friend’s name, your coworker, or a relative in the place of world. “For this is how God loved ________Joey, Suzy, Jim, Bob etc. How is God going to let them know that Jesus loves them, forgives them and died in their place? You get to tell and show them.

If you are brave enough, read John 3:17-21. Most people live under the impression mentioned in verse 17. Still others stay away from God because of what Jesus said in vers 18-20. Verse 21 tells us what our responsibility is…keep coming to Him everyday and all the time.

Now that you know that God loves you and wants you to tell others that He loves them also, it is the most natural response to love Him back. What does loving God look like for you? How would you authentically express your love to Him today? A good starting place is to audibly tell Him. “Jesus, I love you because…”

Praying for you to experience His peace over your mind today.