This past year I’ve once in a while heard the question, “Would you love me if I was a worm?” While I often like to answer literally, I am aware there is much more to the question, and I do answer the deeper meaning. When someone asks if you’d love them if they were a worm, they’re asking if you would still love them even if they had no use to you. They are asking if you would love them as the person they are regardless of what might happen to them or what they may become. “Would you love me if I couldn’t do the things you enjoy?” “Would you love me if I couldn’t walk anymore?” “Would you love me if I couldn’t have children?” “Would you love me if I couldn’t provide for you?” “Would you love me if I didn’t have full use of my mind or body anymore?” “Would you love me if I was paralyzed?” “Would you love me if I had dementia and couldn’t remember how to love you back?” “Would you love me if something terrible happened that reduced me to the usefulness of a single worm to you?”
Later on I came across Psalm 22, specifically verse 6. The writer of this Psalm talks about God giving him help even though he was nothing. He praises God for God’s strength and righteousness. God is always there to take care of you, even at your weakest, most helpless point. You and I can’t give anything to God that would pay or repay Him for anything He could do or has done for us. Even monumental effort on our part is completely negligible. But God cares and reaches out to help us anyway.
Then yesterday during the sermon at another church, the pastor talked about humans being like worms. As far as we humans are above worms or even an amoeba, God is even farther and further above us. When Jesus came to be born on earth, that was God coming down into the dirt to be a worm so He could tell the worms in a way they can understand that He loves them.
Would God love me if I was a worm? Yes, and I know this because I already am one and He said “I love you” anyway. God doesn’t need me. God doesn’t need you. But God loves us all anyway.
God loves you even though you’re a worm.
Related:
What Is Love?
Such Great Love!
“Come As You Are”
Sandcastle Righteousness
Repenting of Your Good Works