Skip to main content

The Love To Which We Are To Aspire

             This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (I John 4:10)

 

            No, we’re not done with love as a topic just because it’s after St. Valentine’s Day. In fact, this is one of the “better” verses about love, because it challenges our understanding and smashes our self-satisfaction. This is the standard to which we are to aspire. God created us. We rebelled against Him. We continue to rebel against Him and it’s not some secret that He doesn’t know about. We didn’t love Him. We still don’t love Him as we should and He knew we wouldn’t. And yet, He loved and loves us enough to send His Son (who loved us enough to come) to atone for our sins.

            Love isn’t “I like being around him, he makes me laugh (or happy, or feel good, or whatever.)”

            Love isn’t “The sex is great with her.” Or “He’s hot.”

             Love isn’t “He fulfills me” or “She is my better half.”

            There are reports…an Amish community forgiving the man who killed a group of their children before killing himself, and adopting and caring for his family… a woman forgiving the man who killed her son. After he got out of prison, telling him of an apartment in her own building that was available, and effectively adopting him as her surrogate son…a woman confronted by one of the guards from the concentration camp in which she was imprisoned and taking his offered hand…. I’m sure there are others.

            People have such a weak, simplistic view of love as something easy and enjoyable. You wake up in the morning to find an attractive partner smiling and holding a breakfast tray; your birthday is never forgotten, no date is ever missed, the partner is never out-of-sorts, knows how to cook, gladly helps clean, etc. Love is harder when the partner gets up in the middle of the night, brings a plate of fried chicken back to bed, eats it, puts the plate on the floor, and wipes his hands on the duvet before going back to bed. It’s harder when the person you’re supposed to be loving can’t remember your name and accuses you of trying to kill him with the dog’s flea meds. It’s way harder when the person you’re supposed to love has beaten you, raped you, killed someone else you love, cheated on you, or treated you like you are worthless. But that’s the love to which we’re to aspire.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more