He Loves Us Anyway
By Julia A. Keirns
(This article was published at Christian Families Online on June 9, 2001)
Gipetto made Pinnochio. He took the wood of a tree and he carved it, shaped it, and molded it. He paid close attention to detail. Every part had to work right. He didn’t stop until the finished product pleased him. But, although Gipetto was pleased, he was not satisfied. He wished for Pinochio to be truly alive. For his own pleasure, Gipetto wanted and needed Pinnochio to be his true son. Gipetto wanted and needed someone to love, and to return his love.
Pinnochio did become alive, but he was not perfect. He was made of wood. He lied. He was led astray easily by evil influences. He made a lot of mistakes, but Gipetto loved him anyway.
At the end of the story, Pinnochio chose to leave the evil way of life behind and go home. He worried how Gipetto would react. Would he be disappointed in him? He worried that Gipetto might not accept him back. Gipetto did not care about all that Pinnochio had done wrong. He missed Pinnochio and wanted him back. He loved him anyway.
When Pinnochio found Gipetto, he was there waiting for him with open arms, ready to welcome him home. Gipetto did not condemn Pinnochio for his mistakes, and he did not hold them against him. He simply forgave Pinnochio, forgot the mistakes, and loved him anyway.
Pinnochio then became truly alive and Gipetto adopted him to be his son.
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That’s how God is with us. Ephesians 1:5 says, “In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons, through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (NIV)
God made us. He took the dust of the earth and shaped it and molded it. He paid close attention to detail. Every part had to work right. He didn’t stop until our finished bodies please Him. But although God is pleased with us, He is not satisfied with us. He wishes for us to be His true children, alive with Him. He created us out of His own pleasure and will because He wanted and needed someone to love and to return His love.
Although we are physically alive when we are born, like Pinnochio, we are sort of made of wood. We are not perfect. We lie. We are led astray easily by evil influences. We commit every sin known to God. We make a lot of mistakes. But God loves us anyway.
We too, like Pinnochio, can choose to leave the evil ways of life behind us and go home to God. Yes, we will probably be ashamed of the things we have done. Yes, we will probably worry that God won’t accept us or that He will be disappointed in us. But God, like Gipetto, does not care what we have done wrong. He misses us and wants us to be with Him. He loves us anyway.
When we find God, He too will be waiting for us with open arms, ready to welcome us back home. He will not condemn us for our mistakes. He will not hold them against us. He will simply forgive us, forget them, and love us anyway. We then, will truly be alive spiritually, and He will adopt us to be his children, just like Gipetto adopted Pinnochio.
We were created by God, just as Pinnochio was created by Gipetto, and no matter what we do wrong, He loves us anyway.