Beloved

Do you recall your childhood? As children most of us were told to be good, be nice, be obedient and be polite. How many times were we told to be quiet? It was a lot to remember. When you're a teenager you are encouraged to be compliant, be courteous, be careful, be considerate and on rare occasion be yourself.

It gets a little more complicated as adults. We strive to be right, we want to be successful, we should be better. We want to be great, be thoughtful, be humble and if possible be perfect. Now folks say we should be politically correct.

While most of these are noble characteristics sometimes we forget that after all is said and done, God wants us to be loved. It's simple yet profound. Have you ever noticed how many times the Bible refers to us beloved? Maybe God is telling us to do just that "be loved".

What does it mean to be loved? Perhaps it means accepting that we are cared about and thought about. We are taken care of and the God of the universe has affection towards us and no matter what we belong to Him. This love is unconditional even in our imperfect state. In this love God forgives us but He never forgets about us.

So as we endeavor to be so many things let's remember the simplicity of the Gospel. For God so loved us (John 3:16) and he still loves us. "Beloved if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11).  It is only when we accept being loved that we can love as we are loved.

Be blessed be loved.

everyday talk for everyday women...