Love that Can't be Earned

We’ve all heard the parable of the prodigal son countless times.  In a book I started reading, the author brought up this story to demonstrate a point about trust.  She explained that neither son truly knew their father.  The younger son thought he had lost his father’s love due to leaving and disobeying him.  The older son thought his hard work could earn his father’s love. I have never looked at the story with this perspective and thought of it being a story about knowing and trusting the Father.  But if we truly know and trust God, we will know that there is nothing we can do to lose or earn God’s love.  He loves us just because we exist.  And as the parable of the prodigal son demonstrates, His love is much greater than our expectations.

In a worldly sense, we have to work to achieve more and earn approval.  Whether it’s at school, at work, academically, or athletically, the more work we put in and the more “stuff” we do, the higher up the ladder we will be and the more other people around us will notice.  It’s good to work hard and show effort in our daily activities.  However, we must remember that this does not translate to our spiritual lives and relationship with God.  There is nothing we can do that will make God see us or love us more.  He already sees each one of us individually, knows us, and loves us.

Think about the love that parents have for their children.  If you are a parent, think about how much you love your kids, not because of anything they have done or achieved, but because of who they are and the fact that they exist.  Or, think about how you, as a son or daughter, have experienced the unconditional love of your parents.  Now think about how much more God loves us- no matter what we do or don’t do.  That is something that always blows my mind.  If we can trust that our parents will never stop loving us and that we don’t have to earn their love, why would we ever not trust that God will never stop loving us and that we cannot earn His love?
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Of course, the fact that God loves us unconditionally is not an excuse to live recklessly, do whatever we want, or choose to turn away from Him.  However, it is a reason to remember that when we sin and choose something other than Him, He loves us just the same and is waiting for us to run back to Him.  The fact that God loves us unconditionally is also a reason to realize that God loves us too much for us to stay the same.  He is always calling us to more- to a deeper faith and greater trust.

My prayer for today is that we would not just love God, but also fully trust in Him and His love.  May we all trust that God is a good Father who will never turn His back on us and who will embrace us with open arms no matter what.