January 10, 2025

Guest Column / Richard Etienne

Could God love us in spite of our imperfections? An awesome God does!

Richard EtienneDo you ever wonder what God could possibly see in you? Too often, I believe, individuals focus on their negative elements and don’t see the overwhelming positive evidence in the remainder of their total person.

Could it be that God looks at us and loves us because of the resemblance he observes? What if God sees that similarity between himself—God as Creator—and each of us, and still somehow loves us in spite of any imperfections there?

I am reminded of the story of King David in the Hebrew Scriptures in 2 Samuel 11-12:25. It could seem quite strange to many of us that God knew all that King David had done in acquiring Bathsheba and still considered David special and worth loving after he had repented.

And we must never forget this element of repentance that is so necessary when we have fallen short—this ongoing need for reconciliation to our ever-loving Father.

In this way, God’s love is much like parents’ love for their children—but more perfect. Children require constant redirection as they mature.

As adults, we must seem similar in God’s eyes. And yet it seems that God still desires our love no matter what we have done or how we see ourselves.

I am also reminded of how imperfect Jesus’ Apostles were. And it is very easy to focus on

these imperfections in the disciples rather than seeing the many strengths that each one eventually possessed.

Yet he worked with the “raw material” of these people to start a global movement. This spread of Christianity would become the pivotal event in bringing his salvation to this broken world.

So it appears that God always sees each of us in our adopted role—as his very children. He continually waits for us to return to our proper place in his family.

And as a result of these facts and because of his never-ending and unconditional love, our challenge becomes one of continually using our talents and very lives to assist in the building of his kingdom because of that love.

And in doing this, we hope to one day hear those words: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Mt 25:21)

What an awesome God we have!
 

(Richard Etienne has a degree in theology from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad and resides in Newburgh, Ind.)

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