2 minute read
I Love You Most
from February 2023
by Dr. Bobby Sneed
Aparent’s love for their child is a uniquely powerful thing. I am fortunate to have a daughter who is now in her 30’s, but some of my fondest memories of her growing up are the “I Love You” exchanges we had. I have no idea where or when it started but one of us would say to the other, “I love you,” to which the reply was “I love you more,” followed by the one who initiated, “I love you most.” It sounds simple and perhaps to some “silly,” but it was a sweet exchange of affection that defined our commitment to one another as father and child. As the years have gone by and my walk with the Lord has grown nearer and sweeter, I have come to the realization that this exchange epitomizes God’s affection for us.
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John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The gift of the Son to a lost and dying world was, and still is, God saying, I love you! There is no other way to describe this singular act of grace and mercy than to say it was born out of love and devotion to His creation (us), which we know based on scripture is truth because God doesn’t just love; God is love (1 John 4:16).
In response to God telling us, “I love you,” if we receive this love and understand that God is love, then our response is to love Him back. The entirety of the verse listed above (1 John 4:16) states, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” We didn’t initiate the “love,” God did! Nevertheless, having known and believed the love that God has for us, we learn to love Him more and more, thus “I love you more.”
The love that God has for us will never be outdone! Coming to the earth in human form is an “I love you” from Heaven. Giving us the gift of grace by faith in Jesus to understand and accept this love is “I love you more” as we grow in our relationship with Him; but God finishes the exchange with “I love you most” by dying on the cross for our sins. He became sin that we might live forever with Him. He overcame death so we would have life. Jesus says to us all today, “I love you,” “I love you more,” and “I love you most.” His love will never be outdone!
As we celebrate love, be reminded of this, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 John 4:7). The people in our lives may come to know God’s love by how we love them. Take the time today to say, “I love you!”
