Chapter 5 of the Book Winning the War on Worry by Louie Giglio

 "Do you believe God loves you?"

Pastor Louie Giglio asks this questions on page 68 in chapter 5 of his book on Winning the War on Worry. This chapter talks about how the power of God's perfect love for us is the key to winning this war. The problem is...do we believe God loves us?

Is there a person in your life you truly love? Not just because of what they do for you...not just when they behave well or perform to your satisfaction...a person you truly love despite all of that. The closest to this kind of love I have experienced is the love I feel for my sons. They can't do much for me. They don't always behave well. The rarely ever perform to my satisfaction (shhhhhh...don't tell them I said this. I'd deny, deny, deny!!). But it's true. They are great kids, but they are not perfect and they do disappoint me TONS...but I'd die for them. The depth of my love for them goes deeper than I ever knew it was possible. But I still want to punch them on the face often. Pastor Giglio tells us to ponder our very imperfect love that we feel for our beloved and realize that it is nothing compared to the love God has for us.

The only reason we know how to love in our imperfect ways is because He first loved us (John 4: 19). He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. What kind of a love is that? It is incomprehensibly perfect love. It goes beyond everything we can imagine. And that kind of love is the one He has for us. Therefore, we have nothing to worry about! If we who are weak and imperfect are able to keep our children safe for the most part...how much safer is God able to keep us? Like Pastor Giglio said on page 66: "If God already gave you His best, He has no reason to withhold the rest." If God has already given me Jesus and the Holy Spirit, why should I worry that He might not take care of me? It's absurd, when you look at it this way, isn't it?

The depth of God's love moved Him to send Himself in the person of Jesus to be our Savior and in the person of the Holy Spirit to live inside of us until He calls us home. Why should I be afraid? If He has already done all these, why would He deny us to help us overcome fear and worry? Yes, we still live in a broken world and the enemy is still prowling like a hungry lion seeking to devour us. Therefore, we must still stay on guard, but we are covered by the most perfect love that ever existed, so, regardless of the reality of the struggles we face, we have already won! So why worry?! And the greatest news is: nothing can ever separate us from His love! (Romans 8: 31-39)

No matter what we do or don't do, He "absolutely and unequivocally" loves us no matter what! And if we believe this truth in our hearts and minds, we have the greatest and only weapon we will ever need to put a dagger through the heart of worry. (68)

So, let's make sure we meditate on this essential truth: God does love us with an everlasting love. Once we get that tattooed into our brains, the enemy would have no power over us.

May we respond with humility and awe to the great power of God's love. He has done what we could never do, so we worship Him. He is the Only One worthy of all our worship and praise and affection. Reveal Your perfect love to us as we move away from worry and break our chains of fear, Lord. In the Precious Name of Jesus, the One Who Breaks every chain, even mine! Amen!