Do you feel that God loves you? Can you say in your heart that you ove yourself? If you responded with a definite 'NO,' read on. Whether you are a religious person or have no religious affiliations this article is responding to your feelings of inadequacy. I  shall draw upon a verse that is in all three of the synoptic gospels:  Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
It's about the time when Jesus at the age of 30 walked all the way from Nazareth in Galilee to the Jordan River in Judea to be baptized by the prophet, John Baptist. The one-way trip covered around 80 miles. People from Jerusalem and all around Palestine were going to the Jordan River to be baptized by John; and so did Jesus. When it was his turn to be baptized, he came up out of the water and had a mystical experience. Let us focus upon that special verse. Let's read the passage from the Gospel of Mark.
 

"And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son,
with you I am well pleased.'" <1>

I surmise that Jesus was hearing the voice of our heavenly Father. He apparently told his disciples what had happened to him at his baptism. Over the decades, I have entertained several questions about this verse. Her are my questions and answers:

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1. Since Jesus had not yet started his ministry, why was God pleased with him?

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Answer: Probably because Jesus was in harmony with God's will for him, which was to be baptized by John.

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2. Since God was pleased with Jesus, is that the reason why God loved Jesus?

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Answer: No! The very nature of God is Love! So, God always loved Jesus. Even if Jesus did not follow God's guidance, God would never stop loving him.

 

3. Did Jesus already know that God loved him before he was baptized by John?

Answer: I believe so.

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4. Does this verse also apply to everyone else, male or female? 

 

Answer: Yes! All souls are created by God. We are created by Love, so our soul's very nature is love. Expressed in other words, love is our spiritual essence and is not dependent upon us doing the right thing at the right time to be worthy of God's love. You see, love is spiritual! Love is a state of being, a state of consciousness. It is not something we do -- it is what we are. Truly, love is who you and I are. We are love, we are loved, and we are worthy of love. But we must know that we are love; we must come to appreciate that we are worthy of love.We do not have to prove it to God ... or anyone else. We are worthy simply because we exist -- not because we have done what is right.

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​5. Did Jesus hear the sound of this voice coming from the outside or did he hear it within himself?

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Answer:  Both are possible. In other words, there are many ways that we can experience the voice of God's love. Wouldn't it be marvelous to have our own mystical experience of feeling God's love ... just because we exist.

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Imagine God is praying for you in this moment. Listen to his prayerful words:

Close your eyes and enter into a quiet time

    ... just to let me love you.

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<1> Mark 1:11 (ESV)