As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. John 15:9
Most of us find it very difficult to believe that we are loved just because we exist. A thousand voices, from within and without, shout that we are lovable as long as we make lots of money, are constantly productive, raise perfect children and never struggle with doubt. To believe in the very marrow of my bones that I am deeply loved even when my income falls, my children fail to make me look good and discouragement floods my heart challenges me to the core.
Yet I know that Jesus never made much money, failed to win the hearts of the powerful religious leaders and was misunderstood and betrayed by those closest to him. Though he knew rejection and failure, he was able to remain faithful to the vision God had planted in his mind and heart.
Jesus often spent extended times in prayer, and while we might be tempted to see the practice as a waste of precious time, we cannot deny its importance in the life of Jesus. Deep down, I know that his actions were powerful precisely because they flowed out of a deep experiential knowledge of being loved.
Terri Mifek
Originally published May 14, 2008
