For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
We have seen the verse many, many times. I've seen it so many times that I often read it without thinking about what it means. Let's break it down.
God loved the world. Does that mean the dirt we stand on? No. It means the people in the world. God gave the world his only Son. Even if God had many sons, giving up one would be a lot of love, but He gave his only Son. Why did God do it? So that if anyone (and he means ANYONE) believes in Jesus, that person's soul will not be lost but will have everlasting life with Him in heaven. Everlasting... that's a long time!
So, the next time your football team loses, you don't have to be happy about it, and it's probably okay to mutter under your breath about the boneheaded play call your coach made on third down and goal to go. But, if you've trusted Jesus as your Savior, remember this verse and what it really means. I'll bet it will put a smile on your face and make the loss a lot more tolerable!
