By Rev. Gerry Weesner, Maples United Methodist Church
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:28-33 (NIV).
Never doubt your value in the eyes of God. Being undivided in our relationships has to be begin with the understanding that we are infinitely valuable to our Creator God. As valuable people, we are challenged to see Jesus as valuable as well. “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven,” Jesus says, “but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.” Living with an undivided heart means that we value Jesus in this life so that he will value us in everlasting life.
We are given, in Jesus, the greatest example of what a life of love is all about. We are reminded of the importance of forgiveness and are given the strength to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us. Above all, we are given a clear sign of God’s intention for our lives: that we love one another as Jesus has loved us. Acknowledging Jesus and living in love is crucial to having an undivided heart.
Gerald May, a Washington psychiatrist and spiritual director, was convinced that all human beings have an inborn desire for God. Whether people are consciously religious or not, this desire is their deepest longing and most precious treasure. “Regardless of how we describe it,” he wrote, “it is a longing for love.
It is a hunger to love, to be loved, and to move closer to the Source of love. This yearning is the essence of the human spirit.”
God has a special love for each of us. A story of told of how the small daughter of the distinguished sculptress Sally Farnham was once ask which child was her mother’s favorite. The little girl promptly replied, “She loves Jimmy best because he’s the oldest, and she loves Johnny best because he’s the youngest, and she loves me best because I’m the only girl.”
It would be difficult to find a better illustration of God’s all-embracing love for His children. It is wonderful to know that God loves us personally, no matter what our experience has been. His love transcends all barriers, and each of us is most precious in His sight.
