Our new little dog, Sassie, has made quite a splash with the family. She’s a teacup sized Shorkie (Shitzu/Yorkie), with an underbite.

The older she gets, the more pronounced the underbite. But because she’s ours, we don’t mind it. We still think Sassy’s the best. We overlook her imperfections and focus instead on her big brown eyes and the way she prances across the floor like a show dog.

That’s the beauty of imperfection. It presents an opportunity to learn about unconditional love. Someone who loves you even when you’re unattractive truly loves you.

I recently heard of a couple from Australia whose relationship vividly illustrates the beauty of imperfection. She was an ultra-fit model who was horribly burned in an accident, leaving her scarred and disfigured. But rather than walk away, her boyfriend asked her to be his bride. She said yes.

Ah, the beauty of imperfection.

This is the idea behind Paul’s treatise on God’s love in Romans 5:6-8,

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

When you and I were at our worst, God gave us His best. When we were disfigured by sin, rather than turn away from us, God lovingly pursued a relationship with us.

Friend, you never have to doubt whether God really loves you because He loved you long before His grace ever changed you. Before you said “Yes” to Him, he looked past the hideous effects of sin and saw in you a person who was worth every cent of the price of redemption. Even if the price was the life of His only Son.

That’s unconditional love. That’s the beauty of imperfection.

You’re loved.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.

He loved you long before His grace ever changed you.