By Katy Mariotti
You Are Loved
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person- though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:6-8 English Standard Version
I was at a conference recently which just happens to take place every year at a five star hotel. I’ve attended this conference MANY times and I know that if you want to eat affordable food, you will need to do so off premises. I plan ahead for this, but this year due to a combination of bad weather and a last-minute cancellation, I found myself needing to grab a quick bite. I ducked into a cafe and tried to pick something modest that would tide me over and got what is pictured: a yogurt parfait and a Dr. Pepper. Even though I knew better, I was still shocked at the total: $22! For two small items!
Now, don’t get me wrong, it was very good. And the service was excellent. But if I’d felt I had a better choice, I would not have gone there (in fact I even passed by once, hesitant to pay what I knew could be a lot). To me, the value of the items was definitely less than what I paid.
We are constantly applying worth to things, not just to items that we buy but to how we use our time, even to some relationships. And I know sometimes, we place a worth on ourselves. In our darkest moments, we can feel pretty worthless. But the Bible tells us that God loves us. God loves us SO MUCH that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us NOT when we were at our best, but while we were still sinners. No matter how worthless we may feel sometimes, we are always loved. The Bible says:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:12-13 ESV
Let us remember today that we are loved and to love one another. That is worth a lot!
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
