15^th December

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

Romans 8:16

If a baby cries in the middle of the night, or soils its diaper, or spits up its food, or knocks over a priceless vase, the parents love that child anyway. They love the child unconditionally. Why? Because they know the child didn’t know better. But somewhere along the line, parents’ unconditional love gets harder. At some point they hear themselves saying, “You know better!” Parents are tempted to love “because of” instead of “in spite of.”

Children who are raised with conditional love have a challenge ahead: understanding God’s unconditional love. God’s love is the same when we are immature and sin, as when we are mature and sin. Yes, God disciplines His children just as parents discipline their children (Hebrews 12:1-13). But God’s discipline is based on His love. His discipline is for training, not for punishment. His love is always unconditional. Parents have no greater job than to get their children ready to experience God’s unconditional love. How do they do that? By loving children the way God loves parents and children: unconditionally.

The best way to advertise God’s love is by loving the way He loves (John 13:34-35).¹