My mother had a “Chores Chart” on the back side of our closet door when I was a little kid. I remember it well. If I made my bed, I got a check mark. If I washed my face and brushed my teeth in the morning, I got check marks. It was a great tool to help me develop good habits. My mom was not pleased with me when I didn’t get my check marks, but her face lit up when I had the whole chart filled. So, in my little childish mind, I began to equate my mother’s love with doing the things on the chart. If I would have told her how I felt, she would have been crushed. She would have said, “Oh no, Gerald! I love you so much ALL of the time. I love you for who you are, not for what you do.” Hey, often we think that way with the dear Lord above. If we keep the Ten Commandments, if we DO all of the right things, God will be more pleased with us. But, my dear friend, that is just not true. You see, God loved us so much while we were sinners that He sent His dear Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. Listen to me carefully: nothing that you do will make God love you any more, and no sin that you have done will make God love you any less. Paul said in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He loves you purely and completely! Oh my friend, rest in God’s unconditional love!
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