“I hate you right now.”
These words ran through my mind when I saw that one of my friends had gotten my elementary-age son a 700-piece LEGO set. When we opened the instructions, there were over 250 steps listed! The recommended age on the box was several years above my son’s. I found it far more complex than anything we’d ever built.
After over a week of building sessions and a couple moments where we had to tear pieces apart and work through some tears, we finally finished. My son loved his new massive LEGO spaceship. However, I was exhausted and longing for a much simpler project.
Perhaps you can relate. We live in a very complex world. An average day in our lives can seem complicated and overwhelm us. When we look for hope, a silver lining, or a way forward, we're often hungry for something simple, reliable, and true.
Maverick City Music recently released a song, which is an answer to that hunger. “Good News” helps us return to the basic Gospel message that many of us heard as kids in Sunday School and we now see on signs in crowds at football games and concerts.
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The chorus points listeners to this simple expression of the Gospel.
“If you’ve been searching
And nothings been working
I’ve got good news
Jesus Loves You”
Using lines from famous Sunday School songs like “Jesus Loves the Little Children” and “Jesus Loves Me” and more modern songs like John Mark McMillan’s “How He Loves,” Maverick City reminds us that we are loved by Jesus.
Now, in a world that is complex and complicated, “Jesus Loves You” can feel overused, trite, or even clichéd. But, if we’re honest, there are a lot of days where the most fundamental questions we ask ourselves revolve around the question of love.
“Am I worthy of love?”
“Does anyone love me for who I am?”
“Do they just love me for what I do for them?”
“Is there something I could do to lose their love?”
“If they knew the truth about my past, would they still love me?"
“If they discovered my secret struggle, would their love for me change?”
After all, consider how the Apostle Paul famously shared his struggles in Romans 7.
“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate… I want to do what is right, but I can’t… I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am!”
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Paul is brutally honest about his inability to do what is right and the self-hatred and misery he feels because of his terrible actions. This attitude can quickly lead us to a dark place.
Yet, in the book of Romans, the good news quickly follows this raw confession. Paul goes on to write, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Later in that chapter, he continues that hopeful theme.
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?... And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
“Good News” echoes these words in their bridge when they sing, “No matter what you bring Oh He’s in love with you.”
According to the Apostle Paul and Maverick City, the good news is pretty simple. Jesus loves you. Nothing can separate you from that love. Jesus’ love is available to you when you’ve been searching in all the wrong places and trying all the wrong ways to make life work for you.
Yes, the good news is simple. It’s real and powerful, too. It can change your life. In a crazy world, I know I need to hear this good news again and again. So, check out “Good News” and celebrate Jesus’ love today!
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps you laugh, challenges you to think, and invites you to grow. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani, an award-winning attorney, and they are the parents of three growing savages. You can learn more about Scott’s newest resource, The Start-Over Guide, at scottsavagelive.com.
