DISCOVERING GOD / #6 / I LOVE you just because you are MY child

BIBLE: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 
1 John 3:1 NIV

MESSAGE FROM ANDREA: I love this verse because it has a very emphatic explanation mark! John even repeats himself here to really make a point. God calls us His children - and that is what we ARE! There is no question or doubt about it - you ARE a child of God and for that very reason He loves you absolutely and completely - not because of anything you have done OR could ever do to earn His love. 

He even LAVISHES His love on you. That is a fancy word for “giving generously and extravagantly”. It comes from an old French word meaning “torrential downpour of rain” - I think you get the idea from that - God’s love comes at us like a huge, extravagant, over the top downpour that we really can’t measure or contain. If you don’t like the thought of being lavished with attention or hugs and kisses, then imagine an incredible spread of your favourite food and drinks instead, or an extravagant day at the most over the top adventure park where everything is free and just for you - that's what lavish means! 

This verse shows us that God’s love comes at it’s most extravagant when He calls us His own child. The most powerful being in the Universe - the One who spoke and the whole earth was formed - the One who holds the whole of existence inside His hands - that One is your Father/Source and He says you are His child - that is what you ARE! What better identity could we ask for? 

Here is another version of this verse from the NKJV Bible.
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 NKJV

Let’s unpack it in the original language it was written in…
“Behold” - this word means to see, to truly experience and to perceive with your spirit - 

“What manner” - literally means “from what country?” It’s like John is saying… What type of love is this? It’s so unheard of and not something we have ever experienced before… it is CRAZY, out of this world LOVE and we cannot get it from anywhere else except from God. 

Why don’t you stop for a minute and say “I (add your name) am a child of God”, “I (add your name) am loved so massively by God who is my Father” - let that sink IN because that is who you ARE. Let your spirit perceive it/experience it.

IN YOUR JOURNAL:
[A] Write in your journal the statement above that you just spoke out loud about yourself:
“I _____________________ am a child of God”, “I ________________ am loved so massively by God who IS my Father”

[B] Once you have taken some time to let that sink in write down what other thoughts God wants you to know about that.

[C] What does it mean to you that you ARE a child of God? How is that different from being a child of your human parents?