Writing this morning from the Dominican Republic. Daniel White and I are spending the week at a boarding school for US kids that had been struggling back home. They come from many difficult situations. Substance abuse, mistakes in relationships with older people, anger/fighting.

Talked with one student last night who thinks God can never forgive him because he has hurt so many people. Says he is responsible for making a friend a parapalegic. He said he got another hooked on Heroine and he has now disappeared.

These students struggle with a common challenge that we all face. “How can God love me”.

See, some believe that God is loving, but they do not believe that extends past their imperfections. They assume that God’s grace and mercy has a limit. There is a line and they think they have crossed it. But, that is the challenge about understanding God and His love. He is bigger than we are. His ways are not our ways. Because we have never been extended true unconditional and limitless love, we do not think it exists. We are so conditional in our relationships, “I will love you if…or, I will love you as long as”, that we can’t grasp that type of pure, unadulterated, and amazing love.

See, God doesn’t choose to love us based on our behaviors. Actually, he doesn’t choose to love us at all. He just loves. It is not his response, it is who He is. The Bible teaches that God IS love.

Add into that fact that you are His idea. That He created you to have relationship with Him and you don’t have to earn His love. You can’t earn His love. You just need to learn to enjoy it.

God loves these students despite their junk. Beyond their mistakes He still adores them and wants them to be happy, healthy, and whole; walking in relationship with Him. And, he wants the same for you. Don’t fight it, just be grateful for it. Receive it with joy, even though you don’t deserve it and can’t quite understand it.

Let His love hit your heart and offer you hope.