John 3:16 is probably the most quoted verse in the Bible. I grew up in a pastor's home, so I've heard it all my life. Because it's so familiar, I used to read right past it.
Not long ago, that changed.
I had just celebrated my third year with my company and been promoted to a senior position. Work was going well, and I felt confident. Then, in the blink of an eye, I was told my position was being removed because they no longer needed it. Just like that.
I kept asking myself why this was happening. I thought I was settled. And underneath the worry about bills, a quieter question showed up: if I'm not needed here, what am I worth?
That is exactly the question John 3:16 answers.
"God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, paraphrased)"
Love came first
Notice the order. Before anyone believed, before anyone behaved, God loved. Jesus said these words to Nicodemus, a religious leader who knew all the rules and still came to Him at night with questions. Jesus didn't give him a performance review. He told him how much he was loved.
Most of us live as if love has to be earned. Do well and you're valued. Fail and you're replaced. That's how workplaces run, and it's easy to carry the same logic over to God. But a promotion and a layoff notice taught me the same thing: my job was never the source of my worth. God's love for me didn't go up when I was promoted, and it didn't go down when I wasn't needed.
Love gave
The word I can't get past is "gave." God didn't just feel love from a distance. He gave His Son. The Bible is honest that we have a problem we can't fix by trying harder, and that someone else paid the cost for us. Grace is not a reward for good behavior. It's a gift.
Believing means trusting
"Whoever believes" is open to anyone. It doesn't say whoever is perfect, or whoever has life figured out. And believing isn't only agreeing that God exists. It means trusting Him with something real. When I lost my position, I prayed for one thing: peace. It was my way of saying, "I can't carry this, so I'm handing it to You."
Eternal life starts now
I used to think of eternal life as heaven, later. But the Bible describes it as knowing God, and that begins the moment you trust Him. It's the only way I can explain the calm I had during a job search that should have kept me up at night.
What I do with this now
- When my mind says my worth depends on my title, I remind myself that this verse was spoken to a man with nothing left to prove.
- When I fall short as a husband or father, I confess it and receive forgiveness, instead of trying to earn my way back.
- When I'm tired and short on patience, I try to love my family the way I've been loved: first, and without conditions.
If you've been told you aren't needed, at work or anywhere else, I want you to know that God loves you. Not for what you produce. Just because He does.
If you'd like someone to pray with you, leave a comment or reach out through the Contact page.
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