I once heard a little kid say, “Jesus likes you” instead of the usual “Jesus loves you.”
That involuntary little word swap totally caught me off guard. It was such a keen observation, and interestingly enough, it made me want to visit the temple more often.
A Savior Who Likes You
We usually say, “Jesus loves you”—a phrase we know and generally believe, but one that is sometimes stripped of its life-altering propensity in casual repetition—a phrase that can be difficult to believe and truly feel.
After all, our heavenly parents and Savior love everyone. They embody perfect parental love. But, as our mortal relationships sometimes evidence, you can dutifully love someone without really liking them! And this perception of obligatory parent-child love (“Of course you love me, you have to love me!”) can render worship painfully impersonal, the altars of heaven deceivingly unapproachable.
You might think, “Maybe my heavenly family loves me in a dutiful, tired sort of way, watching me mess up all the time.” I’ve often let that mortally distorted view of Their love deter me from approaching Them, especially at the temple.
But the Savior and our heavenly parents don’t just want us to come to Them because They perfectly love us. They want us to come to Them because They want to be with us.
They want to spend time with you.
They like you.
A Savior Who Welcomes You
What if we imagined the Savior at the temple doors, eagerly anticipating our arrival?
What if He doesn’t just want you to serve there because He needs His work done and it’s good for you—but because He likes you and wants to spend time with you?
Yes, Jesus says, “Ye are my sheep,” and guides us with divine, perfect love. But He also says, “Ye are my friends,” and loves us happily beyond any kind of formal obligation.
His sheep aren’t just numbered. They are known. They are adored and enjoyed!
In turn, His ‘friends’ are those who simply, earnestly, choose Him. Believing they are personally known by Him, disciples want to get to know Him better. They take Him at His word: “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.”
So let yourself believe it:
Jesus likes you.
He wants to be around you.
He enjoys your company as much as He loves your efforts to serve Him. Why else would He go to such inexhaustible lengths to have you visit His house, to bring you Home?
Go spend some time with Him. Believe that He wants you—specifically you—there in His house. I think you’ll leave feeling recognized, eagerly embraced, and pretty darn special.
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▶ What happened when I wore jeans and sneakers to the temple
▶ 12 things every sister missionary will want in her bag
▶ A Latter-day Saint scientist’s genius answer when asked how he balances science and religion
