You Are Loved: The Deepest Truth of the Call

Image of the Shepherd’s Field – Bethlehem.

You Are Loved: The Deepest Truth of the Call

The call of God does not begin with what we do, how gifted we are, or how visible our obedience appears. It begins in intimacy — a quiet, personal knowing of God and being known by Him.

“So, we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.” (1 John 4:16)

This is not emotional language.
It is foundational theology.

The love of God never falters, never changes, and never increases or diminishes based on our behaviour or mood.

Human experience conditions us to believe love must be earned. But the love of God stands completely apart from that broken pattern. Even the most loving parents, spouses, and children cannot compare to the love of God.

That is why, when we explore the call of God upon our lives, we must be fully immersed in this truth:

You are loved.

Why Love Is the Foundation of the Call

David is described as a man after God’s own heart for one key reason:
He understood God’s unconditional love.

God loved David.
And David loved God.

When David was a shepherd boy in the wilderness, he had no applause, no stage, and no distractions. His relationship with God became personal and intimate because love was formed in isolation, not performance.

This truth matters:

Intimacy with God is not a one-time encounter.
It must be cultivated regularly through time, silence, and presence.

If we wait until we are in the midst of a battle to understand love, we have waited too long. Most people experience God’s love more clearly before or after the battle, not in the chaos of the fight itself.

The call is not strengthened by pressure — it is sustained by intimacy.

From Intimacy to Performance — and Back Again

As intimacy weakens, performance becomes tempting.

David drifted in and out of deep intimacy and began to flirt with a performance-based relationship with God.

This is where many believers struggle:

When love becomes secondary, performance becomes primary.

Performance creates pressure.
Pressure creates anxiety.
Anxiety creates spiritual distance.

But God is not transactional.
He is transformative.

Transformation flows from intimacy with a loving God.

You are loved — and through that love, you are changed.

Peter: When Love Restores What Performance Destroyed

Peter’s story reveals the transforming power of love.

After denial and failure, Peter saw himself as disqualified.

But Jesus never said he had failed.
Jesus never stopped loving him.

At Tabgha, Jesus asked three simple yet powerful questions:

• “Peter, do you love me? – Feed my lambs.”
• “Peter, do you love me? – Take care of my sheep.”
• “Peter, do you love me? – Feed my sheep.”

These weren’t questions about Peter’s love.
They were revelations of Jesus’ love.

“Peter, I love you, and I am going to transform you into the person of the call.”

Love did not follow restoration.
Love made restoration possible.

You Are Loved Enough to Be Transformed

The foundation of calling is not accomplishment.
It is not performance.
It is not skillfulness.
It is love.

Your call is never cancelled by weakness.
It is never lost through struggle.
It is never withdrawn in failure.

Because love is not based on what you do.
It is based on who God is.

God is love.
And that love is already yours.

Moment of Reflection

Consider:

• How does knowing God’s unconditional love for you shape your understanding of your calling?

Closing Declaration

You are brave enough to step out.
You are strong enough to stand firm.
You are loved enough to be transformed into the person God is calling you to be.

And the call is already within you.

Ready to take the next step?
Discover more about living aligned with God’s call in It’s My Call by Dr Brendan Roach.

👉 Read more at: itsmycall.au