Perfect Love
by Annie Yorty
On Valentine’s Day, we celebrate the ideal of love. But what is perfect love? The definition of love varies from person to person as we are informed by life experiences.
Imperfect Human Love
I know a family with favorites. Their interactions grieve my heart. Each child seems to know and accept his place in the pecking order. How does one reconcile always being second, or even last? Each one scraps and fights in his own way to gain attention. One attacks with open aggression and intent, while the rest plot and sneak to undermine the others, seeking to move up on the list.
Partiality shown by parents always breeds insecurity in children. We can easily understand how the “lesser” children would feel uncertain about their worth. But even favored children cannot rest easy because they understand from the experience of the others, they could lose their status.
What’s your experience with parental love? Even the best parents aren’t perfect, so many of us have felt the sting of favoritism. The partiality may be real, but sometimes it’s a misperception. As children, we might wrongly interpret unequal treatment as a difference in love. When we mature, we can see valid and loving reasons for the variations in parenting.
As a parent who makes plenty of mistakes, I’m thankful for a perfect Father who never shows partiality (Romans 2:11), even when it comes to His only begotten Son.
A New Perspective on Love
Recently, I read some familiar verses with fresh eyes and unearthed a sparkling gem I had not expected. In this passage, Jesus prayed to His Father about his disciples.
“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. (John 17:22-23 NLT)
“As much as.”
These words stood out to me in a new way. How can Father love them—and us—as much as He loves His one and only perfect Son?
Perfect Love
Jesus said the exact same love He receives from Father is extended to us too. The same intentions of Father toward Jesus are directed also toward us.
I confess it’s easy to slip into thinking Father God may love someone else more than He loves me. Like a small child, I look around the family and judge my sister in Christ has received better blessings. My brother seems to have a special closeness to Father that doesn’t match my own. Maybe you’ve fallen into the destructive comparison game too.
The truth Jesus spoke in His prayer blows away such notions like dandelion seeds in the wind. Father’s love rests upon us in full measure because Jesus gives the full measure of His glory to anyone who repents from their sins and believes in Him for salvation.
Consider what the perfect love of Father says to Jesus—and you:
He is well pleased with you (Isaiah 42:1).
You bring Him great joy (Matthew 3:17).
You are a dearly loved child (Mark 9:7).
You are His chosen one (Luke 9:35).
Obviously, as the perfect Son, Jesus deserves the perfect love of His Father.
Jesus said the exact same love He receives from Father is extended to us too. Click To TweetWhile we don’t deserve it, God loves us just the same as He loves Jesus. None of us is a “lesser child” in His family.
The next time you wonder if Father loves someone else in the family more than you, remember that God’s amazing love remains the same for all His children—Jesus, you, and me.
This Valentine’s Day, pause to listen to You Are My King (Amazing Love) performed by Newsboys. Worship God for His perfect love.
Join the conversation:
How has Father God overcome your misperceptions about His perfect love?
I welcome your comments!
Copyright ©2023 Annie Yorty
The Measure of Our Love
17 Comments
Carol Adams
that is great. ….Ann I really enjoy reading your post
Annie Yorty
Thanks, Carol. Praise God!
Nancy E. Head
I was reading a book this morning in which the author said she sometimes felt as though she were God’s favorite–acknowledging that others can have that same feeling at the same time too.
He’s that amazing. His love is that great.
And when we’re having a hard time (as our author was) God is with us as only He can be.
Thanks and God bless, Annie!
Annie Yorty
Isn’t it wonderful how God coordinates messages through the Holy Spirit? The word “favorite” is purely human reasoning, and we have difficulty understanding how God can fully love us all. Yet He does. I’m so thankful, and I know you are too. Thanks for adding to the conversation, Nancy!
Katherine Pasour
When I had my first child, I thought, “There’s no way I can love anyone as much as this.” So when I was pregnant again, I really worried about that. But God has an infinite capacity to love (as you point out) and so do we. The love keeps growing and extends to grandchildren and others. We are so blessed by the gift of love. Thank you, Annie.
Annie Yorty
I had the same thought, Katherine. God’s love truly boggles the mind, but we don’t need to fully understand it to receive it. Thanks for visiting!
J.D. Wininger
I’ll share my backstory and testimony with you one day (I think you’re coming to BRMCWC this year aren’t you), but my how this post resonates with me. The example of parental love I want to share with you and you readers here is the example shown by my adopted family. While you would expect, the love everyone showed me (the wayward teenager they adopted) would be the story, it isn’t. Oh, it’s a wonderful thing but the example of parental love I want to share is about my little brother Paul. Paul was epileptic and legally blind. With his challenges, he naturally got most of the attention from mom and dad. Yet there wasn’t a one of us who didn’t feel loved and got what we needed from mom and dad. They made room for all of us. And while their love for me was expressed differently than for our sister (the only girl) or my little brother, we were all blessed to experience their love. I think it’s because you could tell theirs was a godly love. It wasn’t based on who we were or what we did (or didn’t do), but on who God was making them to be. We saw Him through their lives. As I look back upon that time now, I can see how their love for Paul was shared by each of us siblings. We too showered Paul with attention, attention, and protection. Each in our own way. As we two were closest in age, I can say I viewed Paul as more than my little brother, but as my best friend growing up.
Annie Yorty
What a beautiful story, J.D.! You’ve described an amazing earthly example of God’s love and how it passes from one to another. I praise God for your testimony and look forward to hearing more at BRMCWC.
Debbie Crawford
O perfect love. What an example! And the best part about His love is that when we fail to live up to His standards, He forgives us when we repent. What a loving Savior. And what a beautiful post of true love!
Annie Yorty
Thank you, Debbie, for your kind words. We can’t say enough about God’s amazing love.
Candyce Carden
Oh my goodness, does this hit home with me. You’ve given me a lot to think about.
Annie Yorty
Candyce, I pray God show you the truth of His perfect love every day.
Marilyn Nutter
Some of my widowed friends often say we’re no longer #1 in anyone’s life. I like to remember God sings over me and that is a picture of amazing live! Your post is an encouraging reminder of how much we are loved. Thank you!
Annie Yorty
I’ve heard people say that too. Thankfully, we can all be #1 with God. Thanks for adding your thoughts to the conversation, Marilyn.
Jen Knight
I can’t even grasp how much He loves us. Its hard to understand when our human relationships always fall short. I am so thankful for His unconditional love.
Annie Yorty
We always seem to judge God through human relationships. As you point out, that’s not so reliable. Thanks for your visit, Jen!
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