Created To Be Loved

 

So he told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  Luke 15:3-7 (ESV) God loves to restore, not punish. Often, man seems to want to punish, not restore. When relationships break down, for any reason, the most precious activity anyone can be involved in is helping restore that relationship. Sin is devastating and always causes us to be separated from those we love, and all that was meant to be. We hate sin and love the sinner, as trite as this saying has become. We can help heal our nation by focusing on our personal reconciliation with God and each other. We can be patient people by praying for and fostering the process of reconciliation between our friends, neighbors, and national leaders. We were created to be loved, not to be punished. That is why it can never satisfy our heart’s longing.