Imagine this. You are swimming in complete nothingness. No sound of any sort can be heard nor can any fragment of light be seen. Your senses of touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing are insignificant because you are wadingthrough a vacuum of darkness. Suddenly a burst of light appears and spins quickly into numerous charged particles of color. The vacuum of darkness you were once in is now transformed into a sea of astounding sounds, winds, and fragrances. Your mind is a whirlwind of energized ideas, thoughts and questions that can not be explained. Your once nonexistent senses are now working in over drive trying to consume every single unique smell, sight and sound. Everything is created in precision. The waters are churned and separated, stars are aligned, and creatures of all shapes and sizes are dreamed into life. Then you hear a sound unlike any other. A voice so powerful, yet still and peaceful. An utterance that your feeble mind knows could only be spoken by a spirit who can not compare to anything else in all of the universe and surrounding galaxies. This voice states, "I know you by name, you have a divine purpose, and I love you."
"And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." Luke 12:7
As Christians we believe that there is one powerful, omnipresent, and opnimpotent God. A Father that created this unbelievable, organized universe who is full of indescribable love and compassion. In fact, this Father is so in love with His children, you and I, that He came down from His heavenly throne in the form of a man named Jesus to teach, suffer and die for each and every one of us. John 3:16 states, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life," This phrase is known world wide as the "go to" Bible verse for Christians. It has been preached by evangelists, priests and prophets around the world and even has been sported on the faces of popular sports figures. It is undeniably one of the most popular verses in all of scripture, yet do we really know what it truly means?
"Sure! It means Jesus loves me, He died for me, and He is awesome. Duh!" Well, of course all of that is true. God does love you, indeed He died for you, and our God is an awesome God (I dare you not to sing the song.) But, let's think about the "big picture." The true reasons why He died that terrible death on a Roman cross. The reasons why He was born of a virgin only to have 9 inch nails driven into his hands and feet, His prized children spit on Him and ridicule Him and His best friend betray Him with the most intimate and precious gift of love - a kiss.
"I know you by name."
There is nothing like having a good friend call out your name in a crowded room. I can remember being in High school and having one particular friend who would say my name as he passed me in the hallways with the most amazing conviction. "CHRISSAY CAWTA!" would ring throughout the corridors, and the sound would vibrate off of the lockers and shock each person who heard it. My name was pronounced " Chrissy Carter", but the way my friend said it gave me a sense of importance and uniqueness. He made me feel like I was worth having that obnoxious shout out during the day. He didn't care that everyone would turn around and tell him to shut up. He sacrificed his reputation just to have me hear my name and make me feel special, just to let me know- I see you!
How about when you are going through a rather difficult trial or tribulation? It is always an extreme comfort to speak with someone who knows you better than the rest. It seems like this compassionate friend does not even have to speak eloquent words of importance to reassure you, all she has to do is say your name for you to feel better. When she utters your name during your talk, your heart is quickly turned into butter, and your frown turns upside-down into a grin of hope.
Sometimes the most powerful love is felt in the most simple ways- such as stating a name. Life and death is in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), and I urge you to speak the one name that is life. The name above all other names - Jesus. Once you speak that name, He will enter your soul and you will be filled with a peace that is unimaginable. I'm not saying to not converse with friends about your problems or search for advice from the wisdom of your peers, but I am saying to find time to just sit in the still presence of the Most High and simply speak His name. Then, watch your fears slowly fade.
The creator of the universe knows your name! In fact, He knew your name before you were even born (Jeremiah 4:5). This is one of the main reasons why He came to die for YOU. You are his friend… no wait, more like child… no wait, better than that… his creation.. no wait, even better.. you are His PASSION. A passion is defined in Webster's dictionary as ardent love or affection. You are His love. He knows you better than anything in this world. He knows you better than Steve Jobs knew iPhones. He knows you better than Drew Brees knows about football plays. He even knows you more than Paula Dean knows BUTTER.
"You have a divine purpose."
The purpose of a teacher is to get up out of bed Monday through Friday in order to teach children of all ages and backgrounds reading, writing and arithmetic. The purpose of a pastor is to explain the word of God simply so that the church can grow spiritually and glorify God through the process. The purpose of an AC tech is to fix air conditionings so people do not sweat and are miserable each day, especially in Louisiana. Maybe you are reading this and thinking, "Well, that is all fine and dandy, but I am not a teacher, preacher or even an AC guy. I have no talents which means I have no purpose."
You may have been filled with lies growing up. These lies may have sounded something like, "You are worthless. Your parents were worthless, your grandparents were worthless, you will never amount to anything… blah blah blah." Stop listening to the enemy's, Satan's, lies and start listening to God's promises for your life!
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
You love God. You are reading this because you love Him and are curious to know more about why He loves you. You are searching for answers and want a stronger relationship with Him that can last a lifetime. Even if you are reading this for a different reason, you are still curious in the ways of the Lord. He put that curiosity in you for a reason, and that reason is to search for His face. Once you find His face in all of His glory, He will start to reveal His purpose for you. Believe it or not, He most likely has many purposes in store you for, so get ready. Your purposes could be to become an outstanding student, daughter, son, mother, father or wife. Your purposes could be to invent a new jaw dropping electronic device or find a cure for cancer. Maybe your purpose is to write an encouraging book or become a teacher. There is only one way to find out.
Jesus died on the cross so that you can unlock the purposes of your life and live with His everlasting joy present within you. It's not enough to go through the motions of life while settling for mediocre joy. What is mediocre joy? That, my friends, is joy that is present one day but absent the next. A joy that can be taken away by one simple word which can ruin your whole day. A joy that is only present when a human emotion causes it. Humans emotions are temporary, but God is forever. Accept that He died for you. Accept that you are his child. Accept His divinity and live according to His purpose for your life which is to glorify Him while carrying out His will. If you are obedient to His call, you will experience the most glorious joy imaginable.
"I love you."
Imagine the love you feel when you have your first boyfriend or girlfriend. Ah! You can't wait to see them! You want to call… well, in this day and age… text them all the time. You would practically do anything for them! Now, imagine the love that a couple feels when they get married. It is that new feeling of family. The realization that someone decided to call you their partner in life forever. He (she) chose you to take care of through sickness and in health til' death do you part. I recently got married, and I discovered just how beautiful, yet hard this union is to maintain. You have to learn someone else's quirks, accept their habits, and adapt to their personalities. It's not like studying math and memorizing the equations. You are studying a growing, living human being. Math doesn't change. An addition problem doesn't suddenly become division. But, a person can change in an instant based on the situations they are battling. It is up to you as a Christian to remain strong in those situations and love them through the storms.
God created love as a powerful strength that we possess in order to create relationships. Without this emotion our world would cease to exist. The phrase "I love you" can be thrown around way too lightly. "I love you… Yeah, yeah me too." When saying that phrase think about the way God intended love to be. Do you love this person so much that you would lay down your own life for them? Do you love this particular person as God loves the church? When you respond to someone stating that they love you, do you carelessly answer just to be polite? Do you treat it as if someone sneezed and they are expecting a "God bless you"?
God does love you. He, himself, is L.O.V.E. He is made up of unconditional, never ending adoration for our world. The verse says "For God so loved the world" not "For God so loved the rich, privileged and righteous." It doesn't say, "For God so loved those who loved Him that He gave His only son." His mercy and compassion surpasses all! He loves the world in all of its sin and un righteousness. He loves the world although countless wars and hatred has torn His family apart. He adores a world that constantly mocks His name and ignores His existence. Despite all of our world's many faults, our Lord's mercy says "I don't care, i'll take care of you anyway." THAT is what I call love.
As you click off of this page and go on into your regular routine, take these precious words and thoughts with you. Meditate on the fact that God knows your name, He has a purpose for your life and He loves you without any limitations. These three facts throughly explain why the King of Kings decided to reduce Himself down to a servant of men and endure hours of suffering on a cross. He is your friend who wants to shout your name and get your attention during your busy day. He is the artictect of your purpose, and He longs for you to ask Him what the blueprint is. He is the ultimate lover, waiting for you to receive His only son so that you can live life to the fullest knowing that one day you will return to His kingdom of glory forever and ever.
- CHRISSY CARTER CIFUENTES