In the 60’s, Jackie DeShannon, The Youngbloods, and many others sang about it.

My country, the United States of America, is hurting, and so are other countries. I lived through the turbulent 60’s as well as the uncertain 70’s. I’ve lived long enough to see good times in this country, and bad times. The good, the bad, and today, I would say, the ugly.

Yes, our country needs prayer, and I added a video below you might enjoy.  In addition to praying for our country, which is so vital and many Christians are all across this land, I offer something very practical, and at the very least, critical if this nation is to survive.

There is something I’ve known and read for many years, but is still, in my mind anyway, profoundly gigantic. It still to this day causes me to pause and consider, and I am still amazed, humbled, but mostly overwhelmed. I’ll explain why.

I’m referring to a passage in Romans 8, where after listing 10 things, including death, life, things going on now, things coming in the future, it declares that none of those can separate us from the love of God. In other words, there is nothing that can separate a Christian believer from the love of God. Have you ever thought just how huge that really is?

Why Am I Amazed?

Of course I realize the Bible declares God is love; His very nature is love. And I know His plan of salvation was motivated by His love for all of humanity. He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him could have everlasting life. Whosoever – all lives matter – that issue was settled 2,000 years ago by Jesus Christ.

But I am utterly amazed that He would extend unchanging love to me. And if nothing can separate me from His love, that means He has chosen to never, ever undo the arrangement He set up. Nothing can ever separate me from His love. Amazing? Absolutely!

Why Is It Humbling To Me?

I am humbled to think that the Creator of the heavens and the earth decided to not only love me, but to love me unconditionally and never, ever change that. That gives me a bigger and clearer picture of understanding the love of God; He graciously extends His love regardless of whether it’s deserved or earned.

What is it I could ever possibly do to either earn or deserve love from the Almighty, let alone unchanging, neverending love? Humbling? Yes, to say the least..

Overwhelmed

But mostly, I continue to stay overwhelmed that nothing can separate me from God’s love. That means if today I have an extraordinarily good day, He doesn’t love me any more than He did yesterday. And if today I have a really lousy day, He does not love me any less than He did yesterday. His love for me is constant, never changing, and nothing can separate me from that love.

It is overwhelming because in my little mind, it’s just too big; in fact, it’s way too big. I know I am not worthy of His love and I know I could never do anything to deserve it, but He has chosen to love, completely and unconditionally, and nothing can ever separate me from that love.

It really is overwhelming to ponder and consider the love God has graciously and freely extended to us. But, when we do, something very remarkable happens.

God’s Love Changes People

The Bible says that the goodness of God leads a person to change. Condemning people, pointing out all their faults, threatening them with hell, does not bring about change in people’s lives. It may cause someone to go through a few motions just to get people off his back, but there is no real change.

The goodness of God leads one to change. It is His unconditional love that motivates one to do their best, to grow, to improve, to change for the better, and to love others. Part of His goodness is the unconditional love He extends. The more you recognize and believe God loves you unconditionally, and that nothing can separate you from His love, it does something to you on the inside.

It will amaze you; it will humble you; it will overwhelm you; it will heal your broken heart, layer by layer. It will encourage and inspire you like nothing else in this world can. The more you see how much God loves you and how much He has done for you, and allow those thoughts to sink into your heart, change begins on the inside.

You will be motivated by God’s love to do what you need to do right now at this point in your life and Christian walk. It will have a profound effect on your heart. God is in the business of opening and healing hearts, not crushing them.

It Sounds Corny And Cliche, But Is It?

Part of the solution in our country, and in the rest of the world, is to share His love with others. So much of the anger and hatred people manifest is fueled by fear. Yet the Bible says that perfect love casts out fear.

The more people realize, accept, and believe the love God has for them, the more they will extend His love to others. The Bible tells us to be imitators of God. For those who choose to imitate His love, all lives matter.

It won’t happen overnight. Some will reject God’s love. Others will continue to allow the evil one to control them and thus produce more evil. But there is no limit to the impact on this dark world when those who recognize how much God loves them in turn extend that love to others.

Loving others with God’s love may sound corny or cliche, but it is a critical part of the solution. It happens when a person recognizes and accepts God’s love. They then are genuinely motivated by that love to reach out and love others with His love.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

[Before posting this article, I saw this video, and decided it was well worth adding it]