The Gift of Love!
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Many of us grew up hearing this scripture and learning to recite it in church. As children, we may have had to memorize it for a church play or program without knowing what it actually meant. When I grew up, the pastor preached the scripture more so than taught it. Kids like me, who were quiet and obedient did not challenge adults nor did we ask them to explain what the scripture was saying. When we grew up and learned a little more on our own, there was some clarity.
The word, begotten means the Son was generated by procreation or He was fathered. This is an old fashioned term that comes from the word beget. John 3:16 is one of the most popular and most quoted scriptures in the Bible. I began to understand that there is a blood relationship between the Father and the Son, and the Son is a sacrificial Gift to the world.
Now that's love! I really, really love my sons. I believe that if I needed to sacrifice myself to save their lives, I would not think twice about it. Raising them up, I would offer my life in exchange for theirs or for them to have an opportunity to fulfill their life's purpose and dreams. I would do that without hesitation or contemplation. After all, they came from my body, and I am blood connected to them in a bonded lifelong relationship.
As their mother, I wanted them to have a decisive chance to be strong, grown men who would make a difference and do some good in the world. My love for my sons is deep parental admiration that grows in intensity as they get older. As their mother, I made sacrifices for their well being and success as much as needed, especially when they were young and learning how to maneuver life. Raising my sons to have purpose meant I chose to sacrifice my time, money, relationships, and peace of mind over and over again to assure they had provision.
They never once denied my love or my gifts of love extended to them. When I got older and learned what John 3:16 meant, I chose to reach my hand out, and open my heart up to receive the Gift. In other words, I accepted the free Gift. I leaned and depended on the Gift once I knew that I could. I needed the Gift to function in my life and to help me to be the very best virgin of myself that I could. Even today, I want to know more about the Gift, which clearly represents Love.
I now know now that the Gift is perfect. It is free, and it is beautifully and strategically fathered for me and anyone else who wants the Gift of Love functioning in his or her life.
