28 Words

"For God so loved the world, He gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

What was your favorite toy as a child? A train set? A doll? Mine was a stuffed brown bear, whom I affectionately named “Bear.” I however lost my precious, treasured “Bear” for an entire week when I was 6. I had my birthday party at an amusement park, and of course Bear went along for the ride. At some point in the day, I dropped him, and he went missing for a whole week. I cried many tears, and my parents attempted for many new stuffed bears to take his place, but they weren’t “Bear.” Finally after a long, long week, the amusement park called and said they had found Bear trapped underneath one of the rides. I was ecstatic when my mom told me the news! Bear had been found! We went and picked him up, gave him a run through the washing machine, stitched up some holes he had developed on his adventure, and he was as good as new. Bear was home! I never ever lost him again, not wanting to ever again feel the sadness and pain from losing my best friend, my treasured toy, and most prized possession.

Perhaps you’ve also lost something. A favorite toy when you were young, like I did. A favorite shirt, somewhere between the hamper and your closet, got lost on its journey through the never ending cycle of laundry. Maybe you have a continual habit of losing your keys or phone. Or perhaps you’ve lost a person. One of the hardest things to lose of all. One day here, laughing and talking with you, the next, gone, with only memories to keep you company instead of your treasured loved one.

As believers, I think we often fall prey to losing another thing that is arguably the most precious to us. The reverence of Christ’s miraculous display of love for us on the cross.

We have lost our reverence for the Gospel. It isn’t shiny and new for us anymore. John 3:16, those 28 words we likely learned in Sunday School as children, become so ingrained in us, in our brains, that we can quote it at the snap of someone’s fingers, but we haven’t sat and marveled at the magnificence of God’s greatest gift in a while, if ever at all. The greatness of our Savior’s sacrifice can sit on the top shelf of our heart closet, forgotten. It may get pulled out, every once in a while, perhaps in the midst of a hard season, but it ultimately stays tucked away, creating a permanent home in the recess of our mind, heart and soul.

If we don’t put in active effort to revere the Gospel, there is a strong possibility that we will wander through this life, checking items off of our “Christian” to-do list, slipping into a monotonous mindset towards the greatest act of love ever displayed. We go to church. We read our Bible. We go to Bible Study. Maybe we serve in the church somewhere, or participate in a Life Group. Or this or that or something else that has been deemed as a “to-do” in the name of the Christian faith. But those things don’t save us. In fact, if those “Christian” things become the only things that we ever do in regards to our faith, we will burn out quickly, because we will have turned our focus to the works of the faith, instead of living from the source of our faith.

Many of these works are good things to do, commanded by Scripture even. When done with the correct heart motivation, these works will glorify God, deepen our own faith, and encourage others in their walks with the Lord. But ultimately, without a core motivation of reverence for Christ’s sacrifice, these works will become tired, lose their meaning, and may even drive us away from God completely. But, a life lived out of awe for the Christ, the source, is filled with true joy (John 15:11), comfort (Psalm 23:1-6), beauty (Psalm 50:2), wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), love (1 John 4:8), strength (Psalm 28:7-8), protection (Psalm 18:2-4), and so so much more.

Turn to God alone as your source for everything you do. Praise Him in gratitude for all He’s done in your life, from the little things, to the big things, to the biggest thing: sending His son to die in your place! Talk to Him daily, dive into His truth, fellowship with other believers, and let the awesome act of love from all those years ago feed your soul, fuel your actions, and fill your heart.

Read the transformative 28 words from John’s Gospel again, and this time, sit and meditate on it, reflect on each phrase. Praise Him for it, and live your life in reverence of it.

"For God so loved the world, He gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16


Scripture cited: John 3:16 NIV, Ephesians 2:1-10 NIV, Galatians 6:14 NIV, John 1:4 NIV, James 1:17 NIV, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV, John 15:11 NIV, Psalm 23:1-16 NIV, Psalm 50:2 NIV, Proverbs 9:10 NIV, 1 John 4:8 NIV, Psalm 28:7-8 NIV, Psalm 18:2-4 NIV