TheDiscipleMD
A number of years ago Bonnie D. Parkin said:
“Our Heavenly Father loved us before we came to this earth. I know that He loves us…as does His Son, Jesus Christ.That love will never change—it is constant. You can rely on it. We can trust it…
I know of a young mother with five little children who called an older sister, her valued mentor, and asked, “Can we go on a hike?” Her friend knew that meant she needed to talk. Halfway through an eight-mile loop, the young mother finally said, “I just can’t believe that Heavenly Father loves me; I’ve made lots of mistakes in my life. I can’t feel that I’m worthy of His love; how can He possibly love me?”…The older sister quickly responded, “Of course He loves you. You’re His daughter.”
Do we frequently reject the Lord’s love that He pours out upon us in much more abundance than we are willing to receive? Do we think we have to be perfect in order to deserve His love?…We must acknowledge that perfection is a process. This is a gospel of eternal progress, and we must remember to appreciate the journey. Eternal means “without beginning or end,” so the encircling of His love is there for us every day. Remember, it’s constant—even when we don’t recognize it.” (GC, October 2006)
One of the great tools of Satan is discouragement and making us feel as if we are unworthy of Heavenly Father’s love. Sometimes we feel, or are made to feel, that we must be perfect in order to gain His love. This is a false doctrine that has led to much unhappiness. The sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ was to atone for our mistakes and sins, provided we come unto him. If we have faith in His atonement we should understand that sin is a part of the process in becoming like Him.
Understanding that the Lord loves us is fundamental to finding happiness in this life and the next. My faith and testimony is that He does love us despite our weaknesses and faults. Let us exercise our faith in the atonement and accept in our hearts that we are loved and watched over by a loving God.