While visiting my sister recently, I headed out for a morning walk but grabbed her iPod instead of mine. It turned out to be a good mistake as I enjoyed listening to a new mix of music. A song came on that I’d heard before but hadn’t paid much attention to. The lyrics, mingled with my solitude and vacation-relaxed state of mind, touched my heart in a deeply profound way.
The song, Hate Me by Blue October, tells the heartbreaking tale of a mother’s love for her addicted son—despite the incredible
pain he’s caused her through the years. The recently sober son, overwhelmed with self-loathing and filled with guilt for his past mistakes, sees himself as nothing but a source of pain to his mother.
He’s so unworthy and such a mess. Her love torments him. He pleads that she’s better off without him. If only she’d hate him. And forget about him. And walk away. He might find a scrap of peace, and so might she.
But the son doesn’t realize that no matter how far way he goes away or how much he hurts her, she’ll never stop loving him. Not because he deserves it, just because he is who he is—her son, her baby boy. And for her, that is enough.
Love so enduring.
It’s a lot like the way God loves us. As much as we don’t deserve it, God loves us with an everlasting love regardless of who we are and what we’ve done (for better or worse). But we are a mess. Our world is a mess. There is so much pain and brokenness and addiction. There are so many folks, like the son in the song, who believe they’ve stepped too far outside the boundaries of forgiveness. That there’s no coming home. Or hope. This might be you.
We’re all unworthy. Every. Single. One of us. But God loves us anyway. In fact, He loves us so much He sent His son not to condemn us but to show us the way back to Him. We can run away. We can screw up everything. We can resist and deny. But through it all Jesus stands at the door of our hearts waiting for us to invite Him in. (Revelation 3:20) Not because we deserve it, but because we are His. And that is enough.
Grace so amazing.
As Christians we need to first believe this message ourselves. To take it in to the marrow of our bones. And then we must go out into the broken, messed up world and tell others the Good News. To offer hope to the hopeless. Love to the unloveable. And light to the darkness.
We must do this.
“…the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes…and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:1, 3)
Be blessed,
Kelli
Kelli, everyone woman needs to read this and share it with a friend…or a stranger! I’m so blessed by your words today!v
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wow… this is incredile and so profound … yet so perfectly uncomplicated and simple. I am am going to link back to this post in my blog today – thank you for this blessing!
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i loved reading this article it relates to my family. my brother has been addicted to drugs since he was 15 years old he is now 33years old. he is currently in prison due to this addiction. i have never understood why my mom continues to love him after all the hurt he has caused her. she holds onto hope that GOD has changed in him. he says that he asked GOD for forgivness and plans not to go back to that lifestyle. it is hard for me to believe that. this article has helped me have a better understanding and has placed on my heart to pray for him more. i will send this article to my brother and my mom. thanks!
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Kelli, this was an incredible message. You can just hear his heart crying in the lyrics. I love this kind of truth because it’s the truth many have and are struggling with. I love the way you’ve compared the love of a mother to the love of God to bring out that this kind of love never dies or goes away. Just awesome. This is one of my favorite posts ever!
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“It’s a lot like the way God loves us. As much as we don’t deserve it, God loves us with an everlasting love regardless of who we are and what we’ve done (for better or worse).”
Amen! Well said and to GOD be all the glory.
Blessings!
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Great post. It really spoke to my heart today. I still need to get that in the ‘marrow of my bones’…that process is yrs (and maybe a lifetime) in the making. So hard to believe…one of those ‘too good to be true…’ but it is. Thanks again. A blessing today.
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SO beautiful! There are so many times that we either compare ourselves to others and say “I am not worthy” or we compare ourselves to others and say “I am not as bad as him so I am doing good”. We are all unworthy, yet he loves us so much. Just like the mother in the song…he just longs for us to come to him and be loved by him. Thank you so much for this beautiful post.
Blessings,
Amy
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Kelli, I can relate to this. I had a prodigal son for 7 years. Praise God he’s back now and his relationship with the Lord is being restored.
The hardest part for a prodigal is to forgive themselves and feeling unworthy. Showering them with love and acceptance because of their familial position is so important.
And isn’t that exactly what the Lord does with us when we go astray?
Great post. Thanks so much.
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Hmm. Going to have to have a listen to that song, Kelli! I love the ones that make me think. And I love what you are thinking here! This is a truth that will set you free. So many dear ones are held captive by that feeling of undeservedness. How He loves us. What an amazing thought.
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Amen, Kelli. Grace so amazing. Hope. Love. Light. The good news of a Savior… May God use this very piece you wrote to draw some hurting soul to Himself!
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I’ve had a hard time accepting Christ’s love. The “labels” I’ve worn have been severe at times; it’s been hard for me to reason past them. Instead, I’ve wasted a lot of time wearing them instead of the truth that is mine as a daughter of the King. I wonder, sometimes, how my inability to fully receive God’s love has hampered my love for others.
A hard thinking…
peace~elaine
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Amen.
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What a powerful, timely post that I intend to share as Victoria mentioned.
Thank you for your obedience in sharing His word and lifting your voice through your writing. There are, indeed, so many individuals–so many families to be blessed and changed by your words.
They bring life, and for that I thank you.
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Heart gripping!
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