Most people know the song Jesus Loves Me. The song is very simple with a HUGE meaning. "Jesus loves me this I know for the bible tells me so..." I remember learning this song as a child in kindergarten and in church. I remember singing this song so joyfully and loudly. I can still hear my young, squeaky voice proclaiming this message as I would sing this song at the top of my lungs.
While in my car this morning with a 2.5 hour drive ahead of me I began thinking to myself, Jesus loves ME. He loves ME! Yes...it's ME that He loves. While I was thinking this, I would emphasize the word "me" every single time. Such a simple message with such a profound meaning. But something dawned on me while I was thinking this. Why am I putting the emphasis on "me" while I say this to myself? I am changing the whole meaning of "Jesus loves me" when I emphasize the word "me." Instead I should be putting the emphasis on "Jesus." Instead I should be saying, "JESUS loves me." I (me) should have no emphasis. I should have no glory in this.
Let me clarify...
Isaiah 43:7 breaks in down perfectly.
everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."
God created us for His glory. Everything that we do is to ultimately bring glory to our loving God. Even His love for us is for Him. By Him giving us His love and we choose to accept His love we are reborn and then transformed. We are to use our "God life transformation" to go out and show God's love to everyone we meet so they can then become reborn and transformed. That is God's goal. He wants HIS love to spread like wild fire so HE can win souls for HIM. So that we can spend perfect eternity with HIM.
So when you say (or sing), "Jesus loves me..." make sure you emphasize the right person. That person is NEVER me. It's NEVER you. That person is ALWAYS Jesus. We in our human condition (as my preacher likes to say it) tend to make things about us. We are good at turning any situation into one that suits us and our needs. We have to take our selfish selves out of the equation so that we do not get in the way of what God is trying to do with us. When we as His children choose to accept God into our lives and embrace His love for us He rejoices. Because every soul that He captures God's glory is prevailing and the devils deceit is being rejected. To GOD be the glory ALWAYS.
Yes, JESUS! love me. Yes, JESUS! love me. Yes, JESUS! love me. For the bible tells me so.