My brother and I have often been asked if we are twins. We’re about the same height, look about the same, and behave similarly. But we’re not twins. No, we’re 18 months apart, and we are unique. The people who know us closely understand the differences in appearance and behavior. Still, the “twins” comment can be pretty annoying, especially when mentioned about our behavior rather than our appearances, and especially when said by someone fairly near to us.
See, we are all unique, and we all want to be known – and loved – for who we really are. But life can be rough and people can misunderstand us, and we may be too afraid to just be ourselves, take off the mask, and stop “performing” for people’s love.
I recently finished reading a book titled “Jesus Loves Me” by H.L. Roush, Sr.. It was probably the best book (well, besides the Bible…) that I’ve read all year. Some of the thoughts in this post are from that book. (If you want to read it – for free online, or else purchase it for a physical copy – check out jesuslovesme.org)
I’ve often thought, “You know, I wish my life were an open book.” That is not to say, I want people to know all the ugly things about me, but that they’d know everything about me – the good and the bad – knowing all of my motives and fears, and thus somehow knowing me and why I behave the way I do and why sometimes I do good things and sometimes I don’t; why sometimes I smile and sometimes I don’t; and why sometimes I’m quiet and sometimes I’m not, and on and on.
Sadly, people cannot know us that well.
But God does.
God knows everything about you. All your life is laid out before him just like an open book. All your days were known to Him before one of them came to be. He knows your thoughts, He knows your heart, He knows YOU.
The greatest part is that God loves you – not for who you show yourself to be, but for who you truly are, somewhere deep down inside.
The depth of God’s love for you can only best be seen in the cross. God loved you so much that He came to the earth, becoming a man (though He was still God) and bearing your sins (all your imperfections, wrongs, and lack of good works) upon Himself – upon Jesus Christ. See, all those sins had earned you the death sentence – physical and spiritual. God is perfect and thus His requirement for us is perfection. Nothing that is less than perfect can come into Heaven. So, Jesus died in your place on the cross, with all your sins upon Himself. But the best part is that God didn’t stay dead: three days later, Jesus came back to life so that we could have new and eternal life with Him.
If God were a man, surely He would require some kind of payment for this great service – this great salvation. But not God.
God’s love is not like the world’s love. God’s love is unconditional. All you have to do is accept it, trusting in God and what He’s done, and He will give you the gift of sins forgiven, new life with Him forever (now and eventually in Heaven – once you die or He returns), and love – true, golden, perfect, otherworldly love – to live in and share. Oh, and so much more! (Not to sound like a commercial, but just to credit God for the great things He does for us.)
God wants to live and love through YOU. If you accept His love, He will daily speak to your heart – often softly – and guide you. He will tell you who to love and in what way. He may end up calling you to love one person in a totally different way than another. But who are we to question God and His ways? God knows that each of us is unique and has different needs.
But if we are all unique, how can we know how to love others? We don’t, but God does, and He will love through us… if we let Him.
God knows each of us even better than we know ourselves, and no two of us are twins in His eyes. Let His love live through you today.