đȘ More Than Loved
What if God actually enjoys you, not just saves you?
Friends, readers, and fellow Porch enthusiasts,
The other morning, I was working on some things for Bethany Church when I got a text from a friend asking if he had a few minutes to talk. Vince and I donât talk that much, maybe 2 or 3 times a month by text, but when we both used to have long morning commutes, he would call just to keep me company. When I answered the phone this particular morning, he said, âYou know, Adam, youâre not that bad.â
I know that might not sound like the most reassuring thing to hear early in the morning, but I burst out laughing. That was something he used to say all the time, and I hadnât heard it in a while. Sometimes we just need someone to remind us we arenât as terrible as we think we are. Just be careful which word you emphasize. đ
Probably a decade ago, I was at a pastorâs conference in Daytona Beach. One of the speakers told our group of about 35 pastors that the greatest impact he saw in ministry wasnât from his preaching, even though good preaching helps. It was from sending a simple daily text to people. A short Scripture verse and one phrase: âGod doesnât just love you, He likes you too.â
That small shift did something in me. My whole life, Iâve heard that God loves me. I memorized John 3:16 like every church kid: âFor God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten SonâŠâ I knew God loved me. But I did not feel like God liked me very much.
Do You Believe God Likes You?
I think this came from how I experienced relationships growing up. Family shapes how we see God. There were times we didnât all get along. My brother and I fought too much. I remember my mom saying more than once, âYou can love someone and not like them very much.â She probably said that to get me to stop saying âI hate youâ to my brother.
But it stuck with me. I began to assume that was how God felt about me. He loved me because He had to. Because He was God. But He wasnât very happy with me. Sort of like how I felt my dad saw me. I knew Dad loved me. Parents love their kids. But I gave him plenty of reasons not to like me. I didnât listen. I talked back. I didnât enjoy most of the things he enjoyed. I was stubborn and uncooperative. So yes, he loved me, but I didnât think he liked me.
And I assumed God felt the same way.
For years, I lived with that. Yes, God is love. Yes, He sent Jesus to die for me. Yes, He forgave me. But I figured He did that because He was supposed to. As if love was His obligation. Like He stamped my spiritual paperwork out of duty, not joy. I believed He loved me, but I was convinced He didnât like me.
Trying to Earn Godâs Approval
So I worked to make Him like me. To earn His approval. I knew we arenât saved by works. I preached salvation by grace alone from Ephesians 2:8-9: âFor by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast.â I knew those verses. I believed them. But in my mind, that was only about getting into heaven. I didnât think it meant God was actually happy with me being His child.
The idea that God might actually like me⊠that He might enjoy me⊠that He might smile at the thought of me? That felt impossible. I knew myself too well. I knew my sin. I knew my failures. I knew how often I went back to bad habits and wrong thinking. Why would a perfect and holy God like someone like me?
Maybe youâve felt that too.
Maybe you believe God âputs up with you.â Maybe you think He tolerates you because Jesus covered your sins. But liking you? That sounds like too much.
What We Need to Know
I used to think that way until Scripture slowly corrected me.
Yes, God hates sin. Yes, He calls us to holiness. But He also created us for His pleasure. In Genesis, He called His creation good. Sin damaged that. It broke His heart. But instead of walking away, He came after us. He didnât want to destroy us. He wanted to restore us.
Ezekiel 33:11 says, âAs I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from His way and live.â Even those far from God are not hated by Him. He desires their repentance and rescue.
If that is true for the unbeliever, how much more for His children?
When my kids disobey, I donât like what they do. But I still love them. I still like them. I still want to be near them. I want them to know me, trust me, and stay close. I may not like their behavior. But I still like them because they are mine.
Friends, God doesnât like your rebellion. But He likes you. He doesnât just love you because He must. He likes you because you are His.
You donât have to make Him like you. You donât have to perform your way into His affection. If you belong to Jesus, your sin is covered, and the Father delights in you as His child.
And Scripture makes it clear.
âThe Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save.
He will rejoice over you with gladness.
He will quiet you by His love.
He will exult over you with loud singing.â
â Zephaniah 3:17
Think about that. The God who knows everything about you, every failure and every sin, rejoices over you with gladness. He does not just forgive you. He sings over you. He doesnât love you from a distance. He draws near. He quiets you with His love.
So stop trying to earn something that is already yours. You donât have to convince God to be fond of you. He already is. Let His love quiet the noise in your soul. Let His delight speak louder than your shame.
You are loved. You are liked. And the God of the universe is still singing.
Porchside Update
This past Sunday at Bethany Church, I preached an important message called Godâs Hand in Hard Seasons. You can view it on our churchâs YouTube Channel by clicking here
Last week I talked about When Everything is Changing. Well, this week, our family is embarking on a new change. Iâve greatly enjoyed my time at the county tax map office, but after 11 months, Iâm going back to working in the funeral home and cemetery business. Iâm thankful for the opportunity to provide for my family and help others during difficult moments. Itâs going to mean a longer commute, but that just means more time for music and podcasts.
The Family is doing well. Sophiaâs dance class is in full swing. David is excited for basketball to start. Libby, our oldest, is in FFA and had to peel apples this past week for a local apple butter project. She tells me that the older ladies who were there gossip as much as the kids at school. Haha!
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Thatâs it for today! Thanks for sitting on The Porch with me today!
Grace & Peace,
Adam