“So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” Matthew 10:31

Jesus and the inspired Gospel writers have an incredible way to pierce straight to the point of an issue. It’s probably a good thing no one was grading by word count because Jesus doesn’t add any more than necessary.

Fear is one of the basic human instincts after the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Fear of missing out, fear of the unknown, fear of the known, fear of bodily harm or illness, fear of betrayal, fear of loss. All of us is afraid of something. I would also imagine, all of us, to one degree or another, suffer from the same fear. It’s the fear Jesus directly addresses today – the fear that God doesn’t care what happens to me.

So much of society today is transactional at its core. I give you X and you give me Y. If something is offered “for free” the next question is, “What’s the catch?” We become so accustomed to this manner of relating to other people and the world in general that we use the same framework to relate to God.

When we try to make our relationship with God transactional, we immediately miss the boat. Fears and doubts crowd in. Why would God care about me? I fall into the same sins over and over again. Other people have way bigger problems than I do. I’m a nobody, surely someone more important in the world needs God’s help more than I do. What can I possibly offer God that would make Him want to spend time and energy on me?

Every single one of these sentiments are lies, and Jesus refutes each of them with His words for us today. The Gospel of John says,

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:16-17

The first part of this quote is often repeated in many Christian circles. But the second part is almost just as important. God sent Jesus out of love for each of us. And He didn’t send Jesus so that we would live in fear of condemnation, in fear of reprimand, or in fear of not being good enough. Jesus was sent, from a place of perfect love, to bring us back into relationship with our Creator.

God loves YOU. One of the best ways I believe to help remind yourself of this is to tell God you love Him. I heard in a homily recently that each morning and night, this particular deacon tells God “I love you.” We say I love you to our family, children, spouse, even friends. When is the last time you said those precious words to God?

Jesus tells us not to fear. We are beloved children of God, worth many sparrows. God cares deeply about each one of His children and this includes you. When you feel afraid, when you find yourself beset with worry or anxiety, tell God you love Him. Start your conversation from a place of love and be amazed at how that simple act of openness to God can allow Him to transform you.

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P.S. I finished writing this post on Thursday afternoon. That evening, after dropping off some of our kids at an art class, I had the radio on. It was like God was curating a playlist for this post. Here are 4 songs I heard on the way to or from picking them up. I hope at least one of them speaks to your soul about God’s incredible love for you and how fear should not dictate your life.

Fear is Not My Future – Brandon Lake and Chandler Moore

I Have This Hope – Tenth Avenue North

Reckless Love – Cory Ashbury

How Far – Tasha Layton