It’s often difficult for men to say, “I love you.” It’s harder to say for those who haven’t heard it very much. It was rare for my father to say it to any of us three kids. He once told me that he’d never heard it from his father at all. But, he insisted that his “Ole’ Man” loved him anyway. I only remember one time in my teenage years when my father said it to me. I don’t think I said it very much to my sons either.
David begins Psalm 18 with the most important words in the English language, “I love you.” David was the man who slew Goliath, the young soldier who killed 200 Philistines for the hand of a woman, the general who conquered the Philistine army, and the King who united the people under his leadership. I guess you could say he was a “man’s man.” Yet, he could say “I love you” easily.
The cross is God’s way of saying “I love you.” You all know that God so “loved” us that he sent His Son who died for our sins. The Bible also tells us that He demonstrated His great love for us while we were yet sinners. Every time we see the cross or think of Jesus we should hear God say, “I love you.”
At this time of my life, I want my kids and my grand kids to hear “I love you” often. We say it every time we’re with the grand kids. We make sure to say it when we need to scold them or discipline them in some way. We want them to know that we love them no matter what. We want them to know that when they get a 60 on a spelling test or a 100 on a math test, we love them just the same. I want the kids to be secure in their relationship with me. I want them to know I’ll always be there for them. Some might argue that you run the risk of telling them you love them so often that it loses its meaning. God didn’t think so, and neither do I.
Chuck
“Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. (Psalm 10:17)