"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
John 3:17

John 3:16 may be the most quoted and most popular verse in the Bible, "for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."  If we know that verse so well ... if it is quoted so often ... why do we still live our lives as though God is out to get us?  Oh ... you don't?  Maybe it's just me.

God loves me.  He loves you.  He proved that by sending Jesus, his son, to pardon us of our sins.  He did that so that we could spend eternity with Him.  He didn't want our sin to separate us from Him anymore.  Jesus paid the debt.  That is a truth I know beyond a shadow of a doubt.  As a former pastor of mine used to say, I know it in my 'knower'.  Even so, I've always found it easier to focus on my faults rather than the Faultless One that was sent on my behalf.  John shares something in verse 17 that, to me, is just as important as what he shared in verse 16.  I know how important it is that Jesus was sent to this earth, but if I still walk around hating myself, and condemning myself for doing things He's forgiven, them I'm missing out on the life He wants for me. 

For most of my life, I've lived one way: in performance mode.  I read this in a devotional the other day.  It's as true for me as it is for the author who penned it.  From the time I was a young boy, I've lived to make others like me.  I could spend hours telling you why, but that's not important.  You'll just have to trust me.  To a certain degree I think I still live that way.  Everyone wants to be liked right?  We all want friends.  We all want to be popular.  If we're not liked, then we're ... disliked.  Maybe even hated.  If we're not approved of then we're ... disapproved of.  Maybe misjudged.  Misunderstood.  That was me.  Every relationship that ever failed, or that I ever failed at, left me feeling like I wasn't good enough.  Misunderstood.  Misjudged.  Condemned to a life of failure and loneliness.

I hate to admit it, but at times I've treated my relationship with Jesus the same way.  When I don't live up to what He has for me, what He died for to give me, I feel ashamed ... disliked.  Thankfully John gave us verse 17, to remind us that Jesus didn't come here to condemn us, but to save us.  Not only from our sin, but maybe even from ourselves.

I've learned to sit still during those times of doubt, and loneliness.  I've learned to remind myself of the wife, family, and friends I have that love me for who I am ... even if I still do 'fail' from time to time.  It's isn't always easy to do that, and it's not always my first reaction, but I'm learning.