So Loved by God

“Meanwhile, we’ve got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends—so loved by God!” 2 Thessalonians 2:13a (The Message)

Greg and Ann are friends we have known over 25 years. The sad thing is that we haven’t seen each other in almost 20 years. Greg is an enthusiast. It doesn’t matter what he tackles; business, sports, or the next church project, he dives in headfirst, swims till the end, and shouts encouragement to everyone along the way.

Ann is a thinker, and the sort of person you want when you just don’t know what to say. She is serious. So serious that she often upbraided me for being too silly. “Mark, do you always have to crack jokes?” she would ask.

Mark is a tall, handsome State Trooper. Though not menacing, his size would make anyone think twice about engaging him physically. I’ve known Mark as long as Greg and Ann, though he was only 15 when we met. Now, just over forty and a dad for the first time, he also has one of the biggest hearts I’ve even known. He cares deeply, and, though he may use less words than others, he would be the first one there if you any sort of need.

Michelle is radiant. She has always had model-pretty looks, is a weight lifter, and collects cats. She can empathize for hours with those she cares about. She is probably harder on herself than she needs to be; but that is common with those who rarely judge others. She would collect every stray cat or person if she had the means. Her heart is easily moved by other people’s pain.

These four we have known for almost half our lives. Like most long-distance relationships, we have stayed in touch far less than we would like. The hour we spent with Greg and Ann over vacation this summer was as sweet as a Hawaiian lei. Michelle was a little silly, and Mark shared how much we meant to him.

These are the kind of people Paul means when he says, “we’ve got our hands full continually thanking God for you.” Happy thankfulness instantly leaps to mind when I think about any one of these four friends. It is effortless. The thoughts filled with friends like these are rich and exquisitely significant. They are warmth for chilly loneliness, balm for life’s nagging aches.

But, these are not the only kind of people Paul means. The reason Paul is so thankful is not because he loves them so much, or because they love him. The unceasing gratitude is because they are so loved by God!

Paul had a personal relationship with the people he wrote to. And this particular group in Thessalonica was particularly close to him. But that is not the reason for his gratitude. What motivates Paul to such extravagant language is the fact that God loves them, has chosen them, has made them part of His family.

If we sit with people long enough, and stay quiet and attentive enough to hear their stories, we often discover rich depths we had been unaware of. Or perhaps there are hurts they share with very few people. Maybe life took a sudden turn for them which they never expected.

Laying aside our need to speak, we hear the true heart of another. Setting aside our propensity to judge and evaluate, we benefit from the stories told without having to attach a moral tag. Acknowledging that the person we are sharing with is “so loved by God”, we are likely to protect that person and their stories rather than insisting they conform to our preconceived template.

Greg, Ann, Mark and Michelle are people with whom I can entrust my heart. They have affected my life richly; gifts from God. How many others, though, need to know that they also are God’s gift to my life? How many others need to be treated as if they are “so loved by God?”

What I think about people influences how I treat and interact with them. What would happen if I started reminding myself that, in every relationship, both of us are people so loved by God? What joy would replace fear? How much ambition would be replaced by humble service? How much defensiveness would give way to embracing others exactly as they are? Stop for just a few moments and think about those who could keep your hands full thanking God that they are in your life; loved by God, chosen and included in God’s wonderful plan of salvation.