When we listen to the other voices besides God’s, not only are we losing the image of God in our lives. We are also breaking God’s heart. Some of us may not realize this, as we may see God as someone who exists simply to judge everyone, to send people to hell when they don’t measure up or don’t believe the right things. I want us to think about God in a different way.

How many of you know what it’s like to be heartbroken? How many of you have ever experienced a difficult breakup? Take a minute and think about the feeling that occurred in that time of your life.

Better yet, imagine this: You are going to homecoming. You have a date with the very person you have liked for a while now, and you are now excited to go on this date with this person. You are more than merely excited; you are giddy, those little butterflies are in your stomach, and every passing thought is about this person.

So you spend a lot of time and money getting ready. Guys, you may spend some extra time splashing on the cologne, making sure everything is perfect. Girls, you may schedule one of those hair appointments that take everything and put it on top. You spend a lot of time and effort doing this.

Now it’s time to meet your date. You are certain that this is going to be the perfect night, because you are going to your favorite restaurant, and you have spent all this time and money looking your very best, even to the point that you feel a bit uncomfortable.

Now, imagine, after everything you have done and spent to make this happen, that your date sits you down and says, “Listen, I need to tell you something. This isn’t going to work.” When you ask, they simply say, “I’m seeing someone else. This person gives me a lot more excitement.”

Think about how that would feel. It would be absolutely devastating, right? Well that’s exactly how God feels when we choose to listen to the world’s voice instead of His own. He gave Adam and Eve everything in the garden, and simply told them to stay away from just one tree. They chose to go for the one thing He told them they were not supposed to have.

In the same way, God’s heart breaks when people choose to do things their own way. He longs to be near us, to be in a relationship with us. He delights when His children turn to Him and express how much they love Him. And, His heart breaks when we choose to listen to what the other voices tell us.

The most amazing part of it is this, that He still chooses to speak to us, even if we are going the other way. That’s when He introduced the plan to restore people to His image.  Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

If you can take a minute and consider the depth of this love, consider this: God sent His Son to die for the people that were still His enemies! He demonstrated it on the cross when He said, “Father, forgive them…” as they were crucifying Him (Luke 23:34).

This amazing pursuit of His people is available to you and me. God longs for you to be with Him so much, that His heart is broken when you turn away. His forgiveness is so strong that He sent His Son for us, with the understanding that we would still break His heart over and over again.

This week, take some time and thank Him for the overwhelming love He has shown. Get to know Him through His word, and you will get a deeper understanding of what breaks His heart. Because when you truly love someone, you tend to stop doing the things that break their heart.