***This post was inspired by part of a talk given by Pastor Jonathan from Gracepoint-Davis, but I’m sharing the message with you too….

It seems that 1 out of every 3 popular songs these days are about love—longing for it, being upset about it, waiting for it. Teens seem to be especially captivated by love, and seem to think they can fulfill their longing to be loved through teenage relationships.

One very popular song that really speaks about this longing to be loved within people is “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift. In this song, Taylor Swift talks about a girl who longs to be loved by a guy who is in love with someone else, and he doesn’t even seem to care at all about her. Here are some of the lyrics of this song:

Dreaming bout the day when you’ll wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time

If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along so why can’t you see?
You belong with me

Standing by here, waiting at your back door,
All this time, how could you not know?
You belong with me

Can’t you see that I’m the one who understand you?
Been here all along so why can’t you see?
You belong with me

In every High School, Middle School, and Elementary School, you find girls and guys literally emotionally moved by this song as they feel like they “identify” with the lyrics as they think about certain guys and girls they love. They seem to think they have truly “been there and done that”. However, this love song undoubtedly portrays the longing of someone else who has genuinely and sincerely gone through such feelings—God, our heavenly Father. Can’t you hear Him singing this love song to you? He is the greatest lover of all time, and He desperately longs for us, His precious children whom He has made. HE has been the one, waiting all along for you, HE is the one dreaming about the day you’ll wake up and find Him, HE is the one who understands you, HE is the one with whom you belong with. And yet, we have all been giving ourselves, our souls to the unfulfilling things of this world–approval from peers, academics, popularity, romance, alcohol, drugs, etc. Imagine how much it breaks His heart as He watches behind the scenes, watching you fall into discontentment again and again as you try to fill your “God-shaped void” in your heart with such things.

We have a God in whose love we can find the ultimate fulfillment—a God who can love us more than anyone, more than any relationship here on earth, and He’s waiting for us. As I thought about this more and more this past week, I was amazed by the extravagance and intensity of God’s love for us. All the lengths He went through to provide for us, to show us His love, to give us free will, to even save us–all at such a high cost. Wow. I don’t think we can ever say we’ve seen or heard of a greater lover ever before.

It’s hard to believe that some people are not even aware of our Father’s bountiful love and sacrifice for us! What a waste of such extravagance! The greatest love story, the gospel, desperately needs to be shared with those who are giving themselves to the unsatisfying things of this world, and they need to be led to fall in love with the great love of our Heavenly Father.

However amazing this message is, it is difficult sharing it. Why is it so difficult? I ask myself the same question time and time again as I fail to take up this calling everyday. I find it difficult, because I get so wrapped up about myself–how I don’t want to get rejected, how I don’t want people to think I’m weird–and I lose focus of the greater picture. You know, after all, I’m only telling a person that someone really loves them. What’s so bad about that? The effect can be for the rest of eternity. It takes one sentence to spark the fire, “‘This is what God, your Heavenly Father, says to you, ‘You belong with me.’”

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” ~John 3:16

Kristen Lee, Davis Senior High School, Class of 2012