We all want to be loved. It’s like humanity’s preset; a built-in system in every heart that when not met means we won’t function well in this life. Somehow, I have observed similar patterns in different people who have gone astray in their lives – they all were raised in broken homes as a child. I believe that this is the root of every single problem we are facing in this world. Every heart issue begins at home; how we are treated, how we are perceived, how we are affirmed, valued, disciplined, trained and taught as child all shaped our present and current lives not to mention other influencers like television shows, movies, books, friends, relatives, school, the trends, traditions, culture, and so on. Children who were abused and maltreated often grow up to be violent persons for they were deprived of gentleness, and affection. Children who were raised by single parent or passive parents have tendencies for insecurities, sense of abandonment, of incompleteness for the lack of presence of a mother or father. Yet children should not blame their parents because parents were once children too and had also been through a lot in their own homes. Everyone is simply broken and longing for a perfect home because the truth is we were created to love and to be loved.
Love, Consequence of Sin, and Redemption
It is evident in the truth that our desire for love is simply because God, our Creator, the One who formed us and knit us in our mother’s womb is Himself Love. God is the source of real love; He is the One who marked our hearts with so much care, affection, compassion and driven for fellowship, intimacy, relationship and sense of belonging back at the Garden birthed in Adam and Eve. Now, we all know what happened next: separation and brokenness because of sin. It was sin that separated us from a perfect home brought by the devil’s temptation. We were taken away from the true and un-perverted love of God and our hearts were broken spiritually. And from generation to generation, people struggle to find their way back into this home, but God made a way through Christ Jesus to remind us and awaken our hearts to see what love really is and what it looks like.
An Encounter with the Father
In following Jesus Christ, I realized that our faith doesn’t simply stop at knowing Jesus Christ and loving Him alone. He clearly said in John chapter 14 verse 6, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” He also said that true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth (John chapter 4 verse 23). He also taught us to pray in this manner, “Our Father who is in heaven…” (Matthew chapter 6 verses 9 to 13). Jesus spoke a lot about the Father and in my relationship with God, I found it easy to understand and relate with Jesus. And even with the Holy Spirit as I read my Bible I know it is Him who guides me into the truths. “But who is the Father Jesus was talking about? Why can’t I relate with Him?” This question once lingered in my heart even as I intimately followed the Lord.
Being raised by a single mother, I was fully content as a child and never resented my father for leaving, most probably because I was still very young and barely had an awareness of his presence when he left. I was okay with everything as a child until I experienced the spiritual impact it caused in my life and in my relationship with God. I struggled with issues of rejection, insecurities, and sense of belonging when I became a Christian. All these heart issues were divinely exposed in the light to prepare me for the greatest encounter with Heavenly Father. I was at a conference when I encountered the Father, and every lie and every fear I was carrying were cast out by His perfect love. He was the missing piece of my identity just as God isn’t complete without the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I can distinguish that the Father wasn’t Jesus, but He was Jesus’ source of peace, rest, security, love and they are One in mind and heart.
The Father’s Perfect Love
At the Father’s love, every fear is silenced and every insecure, perverted form of love disappears. The hole in my heart was completed and it was the Father’s love that filled it. I am satisfied, at peace, fully secured in the Father’s perfect love and it was Jesus Christ who faithfully restored me back into His loving embrace. I am home.
Now, Christ in me says I must let every soul know that Papa is waiting for sons and daughters to come home. He is waiting to fill every hole in our hearts and wipe away every tear in our eyes. It is only the Father’s love that can truly satisfy every man’s deep longings for love. To those who have not experienced the Father’s love, I pray that may you encounter Him and be restored in every aspect of your true identity in Christ Jesus. May the Father’s perfect love cast out every fear in Jesus’ name.
Lovely Lao is a Sunday school teacher and is involved in children’s ministry at a local church. She is a passionate lover of God and people, especially children. Jesus is her ultimate joy and excitement in life and she is hungry to know and learn more about him. She is also married to a youth pastor who is a man after God’s heart.
Lovely Lao’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/lovely-salcedo.html