Why Does God Love Me?

This post is taken from Clayton King's Blog. The direct link to this post on his blog was not working so I copied and pasted it here. Read it. I think it hits on something that every one has dealt with and should deal with.

Why Does God Love Me?

"This simple question posed to me by my oldest son recently has left an impression on me. Even at the young age of 5 or 6, his brain and heart are wrestling with the same hard questions that grown-ups like you and I wrestle with.

Inspired by that question, I did some soul searching and some scripture searching. And I preached a message on my conclusion at Prestonwood this weekend in Dallas. Here is what I told them, and here is what I want tell you.

GOD DOES NOT LOVE ME BECAUSE I AM GOOD. HE LOVES ME BECAUSE HE IS GOD.

Everyone I have ever met who struggles with the love of God, particularly that God could ever love them, struggles with it precisely because they can’t understand how God could ever love them with all of their sins and wickedness, mistakes and regrets. And it is this thinking that cripples so many of us into depression and hopelessness.

If God’s love for any of us is based on how good we are, then we are eternally and forever doomed. And we do indeed feel this ominous sense of doom in our souls because each and every one of us knows, deep in our hearts, that we can never be good enough. It is no small wonder our nation, and the church, is filled with people who have no joy, no peace, and no hope. If we base these on our ability to be good, then we might as well quit trying.

God loves us because HE IS GOD. It is His nature to love, to care for, to show compassion toward, and to shower grace on His creation. He loves us out of His own goodness, not because of ours. And boy, am I glad.

The book of First John is the classic Christian text on the love of God. Over and over again, John tells us what love is, how we know when it happens, and how to recognize love. We love Him because He first loved us. He initiated the whole thing and all we can do is respond in worship and faith, saying, “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU JESUS. I LOVE YOU!”

It is the love of God that makes me good. So the paradox is fantastic. If I try to make God love me by being good, then I frustrate myself and I never succeed, then I ultimately nosedive into self-pity or harsh legalism. But if I receive His love in Christ as an act of His character and goodness toward me, then and only then will I become good, because His love will transform me into a new man.

Quit trying to be good and be loved by God. Just say thanks, and worship Him for loving you. Then you will notice that goodness comes naturally, from the inside out, from a heart touched by The Lord."