November 8, 2025
Wayne and I attended our old church this past Sunday. There was a special worship service that we wanted to be a part of. Before we moved to Jefferson, we had been active members of this church for over 20 years. Our children accepted Christ there, were baptized there, and we have wonderful friendships there.
As we were driving home on Sunday afternoon, we both commented on how nice it felt to be hugged. It felt so welcomed and loved. I think COVID caused us to lose the art and significance of how much people need a hug. A hug can make you feel loved, valued, needed, comforted, and overall, just lift your spirits when you need it the most.
When I am feeling down or sad, a hug seems to lift that dark cloud and know that someone cares. A hug is a simple, but needed, way to show others kindness and compassion. As I was thinking about the way a hug makes you feel, I thought about God.
God hugs are all around us. When my grandchildren randomly just tell me they love me, that is a God hug. When I get an unexpected, sweet note in the mail, that is a God hug. When my children call me just to talk, that is a God hug. When I get to spend time talking and laughing with a friend, that is a God hug.
Honestly, God hugs are all around us if we just look for them. They are any act that, through touch, words, or action, shares the love of Christ. They can remind us on hard days that life may shift and change, but God's love and goodness do not.
God hugs are also abundantly available through His Word. We read that God is always faithful, He keeps His promises, He will shelter us in the shadow of His wings, and His love endures forever. These are just a few of the God hugs that are all throughout scripture.
We can also receive the warm feeling of a hug when we spend time in prayer with God. When we pray, all our focus is on God. Prayer gives us peace and a feeling of not being alone. The thought that God knows me completely but still loves me unconditionally is more than I can comprehend. It's a God hug like no other that is only multiplied by spending time in prayer. Prayer allows me to express my thankfulness to God for all the blessings in my life. It fills me with the awareness of His grace, mercy, compassion, and love that becomes a warm hug directly from Him.
God wants us to share His love with others so they, too, can feel the love, value, comfort, and peace that only He can provide. I am reminded that scripture tells us to love your neighbor as yourself, to serve one another, build each other up, and share each other's burdens. These are ways we can share God's love with others who we meet daily.
Who knows? It could be the only hug from God they might receive, and it could possibly change their lives. To me, the cross represents an open armed hug to others to be forever embraced by the love of God. What a wonderful hug that is!
God's love displayed on the cross, the power of His Word, and the personal relationship available through prayer are the best hugs you will ever have. Be a giver and sharer of God hugs, and just for the record, I will never mind a good hug.
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Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
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