Always Know that You Are Loved   

When I grab my Fitbit activity tracker each morning to put in my pocket, it typically flashes some kind of greeting. It usually consists of a word or phrase offering encouragement, challenge, or affirmation. Some days it exhorts me to “Step it up”, while other times it simply starts my day with a “Howdy”. Every so often, as it did recently, it will communicate this message: “Luv ya”. Clearly, I have no illusions that my activity tracker really loves me. I realize this is just a phrase someone decided to include in its programming. However, the fact that it was deemed appropriate to include in the list of greetings points to the belief that we all could use a little indication at times that we are loved. Maybe it’s not that meaningful to receive such affirmation from an inanimate object that spends its day counting up how many steps we’ve taken. However, it’s often helpful and encouraging to be reminded that somebody loves us.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s a good time for some of us to be on the giving end of that type of positive assertion. Who needs to hear those words from us? Maybe we don’t say it enough to the beloved people in our lives. Let’s use this opportunity to encourage a spouse, a parent, a child, a friend, or someone else in our lives with some form of that sentiment – “Luv ya”. Maybe they need to be uplifted and reassured by such a reminder.

We all need such affirmation at times. No matter whom you have or don’t have in your lives, you are loved. Whether or not you have a spouse, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or some other close relative or friend who lets you know of their affection for you, you can rest assured that there is Someone who loves you. If we’ll tune in to hear it, every day our Heavenly Father is declaring, “I love you!” Each moment Jesus, through the actions He took in dying for your sins, is loudly proclaiming, “I love you, and no one can love you more than I do!” “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).

You are loved by the Lord. No matter who you are or what you’ve done. No matter how bad you’ve been or how much you’ve ignored God or even rebelled against Him. You are loved. Nevertheless, don’t make the mistake of assuming God’s love for you means that there aren’t consequences to your actions. Don’t fall for the erroneous idea that a loving God turns a blind eye toward your lack of submission to the teachings of His Word. Don’t think that because the Lord loves you that He will not hold you accountable for any unrepentant sin in your life. Don’t wrongly surmise that since God loves you and doesn’t want anyone to perish that everyone will end up in heaven one day.

You are loved, but God loved you enough to give you a choice. He doesn’t force any of us to be recipients of His love and grace. However, it’s available to us if we’ll open up our hearts to it. A loving God is reaching out to us, if we’ll just reach out and take His hand. The loving Father is watching and waiting for his prodigal child, if we’ll just come to our senses and humbly return home to Him.

You are loved just as you are. But God loves you enough not to leave you there, but to enable you to become more what you are meant to be. So respond appropriately today to the amazing, never-changing truth that the Lord loves you.