I’ve been thinking lately about God’s love for us being steadfast. I’ve heard it plenty of times in my life, I’m sure, but I never put any thought whatsoever into what it means and how it looks. The definition is pretty self explanatory and I figured it had something to do with being steady, but I looked it up anyway just to be accurate. By definition, steadfast means: firmly fixed in place; immovable. I always knew Christ’s love for us never changes, but I guess i’ve never tried to understand what it means. I won’t ever fully understand what it means, because who can fully understand God? No one. That’s part of His beauty. I do believe though, actually, I know it’s important that we seek to know and understand Him more.

So often I find myself thinking things like “God probably loved me more yesterday because I read my Bible, listened to 94.9 instead of 106.1, AND prayed like 5 times.” Ok, maybe that’s not my exact thought process, but you see the point. I allow myself to be under the impression that He loves me more when I do things perceived as good things.

This also works the other way around. Things like “I didn’t set any time aside today to read His word, I listened to Kesha all day instead of Chris Tomlin, AND I sang the cuss word when she did. There’s no way He loves me as much today as He did yesterday.” Again, not exact thoughts, but you get it.

Both of these are of course wrong perceptions to have. His love doesn’t change based on what we say, what we do, what we don’t do, or what we don’t say. Nothing can move His love meter for us. It’s like getting a full tank of gas and never using the car again. It will always be completely full and it will never change.

Another thing I catch myself thinking is that His love is greater or lesser for some people than it is for others. Like, how the heck can God love me the same as Francis Chan, David Platt, or Billy Graham? If His love wasn’t steadfast, I’m sure He’d love them more, but His love IS steadfast—it doesn’t fluctuate between people.

He loves all of His children with a steadfast love. A love that is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His steadfast love is everlasting. It never ends. If it wasn’t everlasting, it wouldn’t be steadfast because that would mean one day His love would change from existent to non-existent. Thankfully that’s not the case. His steadfast love is unconditional, gentle, perfect. His love will always be all of these things and more with no fluctuation whatsoever. It can not be shaken and it can not be moved.

So what should my response be to this?

If we are called to love like Christ, then I should be pursuing to show steadfast love to Christ and others. My gas tank should be completely full and I shouldn’t use the car. I should be longing to love Christ FULLY and to never love Him less. I should love others FULLY whether they wash my feet or spit on my shoe.

Christ having a steadfast love means so much more than I’ll ever understand, but I’m so thankful to be able to rest in this steadfast love tonight, tomorrow, and the rest of eternity.

Lamentations 3:2-24

²² The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
   his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
   “therefore I will hope in him.”