We live in a world of fakes. We live in a world of filters. We live in a world where we can control what people see of us on social media. We live in a world where people air all their garbage and where others seem to live perfect lives.
So my question; what does Jesus love?
I have days like anyone else. I have a past like anyone else. I have days where I feel like God loves me but He doesn’t like me right now. So I try to hide. Sometimes hiding comes in the form of “frontin”.’ See frontin is what old ‘gangster’ Jason use to say to sound cool. By that I mean, you just put up this front that isn’t really you. I try to be perfect to get God to like me again. If I have all of God’s love, how can I get Him to like me more? Is that possible?
So follow this rabbit trail for a second, because recently, I needed this;
In Matthew 3:17 God says this to His Son Jesus; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
It’s written at the START of Christ’s public ministry. This is when Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. Jesus has NOT accomplished His mission. We don’t know of mass healings yet, we don’t know of sermons and a huge following. Jesus is, well, just starting out.
Yet God the Father is able to look at Him and say that He is well pleased. Till this point, Jesus wasn’t a notable person. It was the next three years that would give Him notoriety. So the Father was pleased in a life of simple obedience. I don’t believe you need to be Billy Graham to have the Father pleased with your life. You may die with no notoriety on earth, but you can die with the God of this universe saying “WELL DONE, WELL DONE, WELL DONE.” So stop faking or frontin’ just be you and walk in simple obedience. God will take you where He wants to take you.
WAIT, if you’re like me this is all true and what not but you’re still a little skeptical. I mean that is Jesus and all. Sure, He said that to Jesus because He knew He’d accomplish the mission, He knew He wouldn’t be let down. That’s Jesus and I’m not Jesus. I said it too. Ok so this is the rabbit trail. I think this still applies to you and I.
In Romans 5:8 says “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Love is to love someone at their worst guiding them towards their best. God loved us at our worse. We were in our sin when the God of this universe sent Jesus to die. Jesus paid the price of our sin knowing EVERYTHING you’ve done and will do.
"Love is to love someone at their worst guiding them towards their best. God loved us at our worse."
He loved all of you that night you were in jail because you drove drunk. He loved you during the affair. He loved you when you took the hit. He didn’t love your sin, He loves you. He loved us at our worst and gave us His Son. Did you call on the name of Jesus from a jail cell? In that moment you had/have God’s pleasure resting you on. Why? His pleasure rests on Jesus and we have Jesus the moment we turn in faith.
God loved you at your worst and is still in the process of guiding you towards Himself. You find your best self when you move closer to Jesus.
"You find your best self when you move closer to Jesus."
Stop frontin’, stop faking, stop trying to earn acceptance. If He loved you at your worst, He loves you RIGHT NOW just the same. Is He ok with the garbage in your life? Certainly not. But He loves you. Let the love of Christ motivate a better you.
If you’re loved at your worst, you can be real. He knows it all, so stop frontin’, hiding, and faking. He loves you. The real you. All of you.
Keep praying for one!
Jason Coache,
Lead Pastor of Wellspring Church
Click here to learn more about Wellspring Church in Toms River!
