The Danger of Underestimating God's Love
In my view, underestimating God's love for people is the single biggest problem in the church world today. It is often a reflection of the lack of value believers have for themselves, as well as others.
Religious people get upset when you mention the fact we should hold ourselves to the same level of esteem and value as God does. They think that what pleases God is when we see ourselves as worthless and despicable. God, on the other hand, sees us as valuable and precious according to Him. Our value is worth Him sending His only Son as a sacrifice to redeem us.
If God sent His Son to pay the price we couldn’t pay to redeem us to Him, that should give us insight into how valuable He sees us. If we can’t grasp how valuable we are to God, we won’t see others as valuable to Him either. This will impact how we treat and relate to them.
Jesus never condemned anyone. He showed us why we were precious to His Father in the parables He taught us. The pearl of great price speaks to our value to God. The story of the Prodigal Son teaches us at our worst, God loves us.
I wrote previously about the apostle Paul and how he told Timothy he was the worst sinner whom Jesus saved. History is filled with horrible people who discovered, despite their past, a God who loved and accepted them just as they are.
I am always amazed at how God’s goodness reaches deep into the darkness of society to rescue those drowning in their sins.
As fellow believers in Jesus, we should keep our lights shining bright for those lost in darkness so we can help them escape the darkness and experience the light.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)