“Do you love me?” I asked.
“Of course,” my husband replied.
“Why do you love me?”
“Because you’re my wife.”
When Jason responded with that answer, I felt a little irked. It was so unromantic.
Didn’t he love me because of my fabulous looks, my razor-sharp wit, and my excellent sense of humor? But when I thought about it more and more, his pragmatic answer was actually so comforting.
Because if he loved me because of my attributes, then he could stop loving me when those aspects inevitably changed.
My looks will fade. My brain is already frazzled from being a mom of two (and just wait until they become teenagers), and cultural tastes will come and go. But it is our identities as a husband and wife that will keep us connected and in love with one another. As long as I am his wife, he will love me.
In an even greater way, God will forever love us because we are forever his children. We can never lose that identity because we were created by him and called by him.
God does not love us because of what we do (or don’t do), of what we look like, or how we think. He loves us because we are his beloved children.
“God will forever love us because we are forever his children.”
Now I love my children, but they do very little to improve my life. Sure they’ll bring me projects from school (still dripping glue) or give me (reluctant) hugs. But do they actually make my life easier? Nope. I have to pay preschool tuition, do extra loads of laundry, and deal with sleepless nights.
Despite this, I still love them and will forever love them because they are my children. What makes me happiest is not when they are trying their hardest to please me, but when I see them living their lives boldly.
It brings me so much joy to see them loving their friends and family and growing in knowledge and strength. From sitting up, to crawling, to walking. From being helpless babies to active participants in our family life.
And that is the joy the Father has for us. He is so pleased when we grow into our identities as sons and daughters of the most high God. He wants his children to know they are completely forgiven, freed from shame and guilt, and empowered to love and serve him and his people.
Because if we know we are forever loved, then we can be unafraid of failure. We can be bold in the face of injustice. We can be passionate in our pursuit of him. We know that because we will never lose our identities in him, we will never be unloved by him.
So this Valentine’s Day, while you enjoy the dinner and flowers (or watch the Olympics with some ice cream), would you remember true love? Not love that is earned or just fallen into, but love that is real and eternal and chosen because of who God says you are: His beloved child.