God Loves This Crazy World (2020 Drama Included)

What do the words “God loves” do to you? Do they make you roll your eyes? Do they surprise you? Do they stop you in your tracks?

The words, “God loves” for me, honestly, fall a little flat. I am not going to lie and say I feel them deeper than the craziest feelings of love I’ve had. Honestly, I have heard them so much that they do little in the way of making me pause. Or call out to me. They don’t strike me as the most powerful statement in the world.

But that’s my problem. To me, that tells me it’s time to really think about the ways God loves.

God = ?

God is patient. He is kind. He isn’t self-seeking. He looks out for the good of others. Contrary to popular belief, God helps those who aren’t able to help themselves. He reaches to the lowest valley on the farthest continent to capture and return to Himself what was lost. What does all this mean for you and me?

He’s not done with us yet!

2020 drama included.

The world’s largest pandemic in history, of Biblical proportions (covering the continents like the flood), is like the perfect storm for humans to be tested and tried, whether you’re a believer or not. Thankfully, if you’re a Christian, you can be assured these present troubles are nothing compared to the reward and glory we’ll get to inherit in the next life, after passing the test (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I feel like I’m preaching to the choir.

An Opposing Viewpoint

One might argue if there is a God, he is punishing the world, and doesn’t love it. That is why he sent a pandemic.

Without the lens of God’s words, you would be absolutely valid in your belief. If there was a creator, he was certainly absent and letting the world go to hell in a handbasket.

But may I point out that the creator who intricately formed and fashioned every creature is not far from it at all. He is exceedingly present and in our midst, and closer than we would assume at first glance.

How do I know God is present and loves you and me and this crazy roller coaster world?

He said he does. He told us, and then showed us. He already executed the plan that would bring us an escape and a way out of the mess we created. The plan to level the playing field, so to speak, and give us the power to overcome evil with goodness and love.

Without Christ’s sacrifice and coming alive again, we would be a world without hope. Because why would life be worth living if he never was who he said he was? But we believe he is who he says he is and live by that. We walk by faith and not like the world does, according to sight.

Proof of Existence

How do I know he’s alive? Because he’s working in my life. He’s redeeming and continuing to teach me. It’s a daily adventure to see what He will do when the eyes of our hearts are open.

I want to challenge you, and myself included, not to go forward a moment more without pausing and recognizing the fact that we aren’t in control. We can’t outrun the set course of time and creation. We are all appointed our death date.

But what can we do?

We can cultivate hope and joy and peace in the midst of chaos and noise and fear.

To be able to find that hope and joy and peace, we do the opposite of what the world says and do what God’s word says.

We submit.

We obey.

We follow Jesus’ example.

We read about Jesus’s example to know what his example was.

And we practice everything he taught us.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.”

Think a Little Harder

So how do you want to be treated when you’re hurt and suffering, or lost and confused? Would you not want to be lifted up, eased of your heavy load, cared for, and shown the way to freedom? That’s every Christ-follower’s call, myself included.

That’s why I am writing this today. That’s me doing my part to love my virtual neighbor – to call to those who are downcast, weary, and worn out. To tell them the great news – that you don’t have to save yourself!

In fact, you can’t!

None of us are strong enough to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps to make it right enough. That’s what Jesus is there for.

And if I were to stay silent about it, the rocks would cry out!

Why Do I Care So Much?

This is my form of worship amidst the chaos. I’m submitting to God’s calling and commission over my life. I’m telling you this from hurting with you, from growing weary next to you, from being sick of the devastating nature the world is in these days. I get the anxiety, I get the fear, and I understand the feelings of doubt and despair.

What are you going to do with this moment? What ways can you tell and show God’s love today? Don’t be a hoarder of God’s grace. Be open and willing to share, and out of the grace you’ve received.

God loves you. God cares.

What’s Your Next Step?

It may be to accept God’s love for you if you’ve never done that.

Or it may be to obey God’s call to love others as yourself and tell them what God can do for them.

Or it may be to give up your struggle to control and worry about the future, and put your trust in God’s sovereignty.

It’s likely you’ll fall into one of these 3 calls to action.

So which one is it? Take a moment to decide and then act on your decision.

If you need to accept God’s love, receive His grace, and ask for forgiveness.

If you need to obey God’s great commission and the law of love, repent and ask God to show you how.

If you need to stop worrying and trying to control, repent, and ask God to give you His peace.

Friends, this is the way God loves. He isn’t giving you a hard time to see how much you can take until you tap out. This time of trial and testing is God upping the volume on his call to you and me. He’s trying to get our attention. Do you not know the shepherd is calling your name and awaiting your response?

Time to put your faith in motion. We serve a good God, and he’s not failed us ever. Listen for Him. Then, when you hear him, respond.