Because You Are Mine
I was encouraged tonight to contemplate God's love. This is not something that is unheard of in our Christian circles. We talk and sing and read about how He loves. It's not abnormal or extraordinary to have those conversations in our Bible studies. That massive and intense agape love, however, is more extraordinary than our feeble human minds can grasp! And how easily we forget that! How easy it is for me to talk about and ponder God's bottomless capacity for loving me, and a few weeks later, I am soul-weary and red-eyed and trying to figure out why I'm so terrible at following what He's told me to do. Through years in Sunday school and God working on me, I can probably say that I constantly know in my head that I am loved by God; His sacrifice is proof of that! My heart, on the other hand, is wishy-washy and moody and pulls me this way and that, following every little distraction. And after a while, I look up and cry because I've drifted, again, and am so tired of fighting my way back through my life to Him.
This is where God's love shines! (Well, honestly, it shines in every circumstance and situation.) I could try to do it on my own. I could say to God, "God. I am going to love you now, like you've told me to do in your word. I'm going to work hard and get back to where you want me to be." But if that is where it's left, where does that leave us? Figuring out what to do, and how to completely and utterly love a Being that is so huge and mighty, and ultimately beyond our capacity to love in the way that is needed. Instead, He is the Great Redeemer. He looks at us and says, "Child, just let me love you. I know you've drifted and done me wrong, but because you are mine, you don't have to earn my love. Because you are mine, I'll forgive you an uncountable number of times. Because you are mine, I will never fail to come for you."
What rest there is in allowing God to love us! In the knowledge that this love isn't something earned, but something given freely! Our faith is lived out in action, true, and that action is made real and beautiful and worthwhile because of our love for Christ. But our faith-acts, these powerful, God-driven things that we do for the furthering of His Kingdom, can only be done to their full potential as the love of the Father flows in and through us. It is His love that fills us, and allows us to love Him, because without it we are utterly incapable. It is His love that makes us have the desire to spread His name where it is not yet known, because we have experienced the wonderment and fulfillment that is only found in Him. It is the love of Christ that gives us bravery, and makes us no afraid. If it rested on our shoulders, if our faith was determined by how we excelled, or failed, at loving God, all would be lost. We would never be able to arrive at a place where we loved Him enough to feel that fulfillment or that bravery. We would never find the strength to venture into the unknown on His behalf, knowing He was beside us, because our insecure human nature would be fighting us, and our enemy would be whispering lies in our ear about how we aren't enough. And we aren't. That part is not a lie. Alone, we will never be enough for all that God has for us. It is only when He is the one filling us with His passion and purpose that we are able to accomplish the task, and to spread His glory, and to love Him!
What great peace there is in that! Our job description has changed from seeker to receiver, and all we must do is to accept the love. The rest comes from humility, and it's still not guaranteed to be an easy road, but the Father's yoke is light. Because He carries the burdens for us. And with His love fulfilling our souls, we will share. It will radiate from us like a light on a hill! We won't be able to keep it hidden! And all we must do is to accept God's love!
This is where God's love shines! (Well, honestly, it shines in every circumstance and situation.) I could try to do it on my own. I could say to God, "God. I am going to love you now, like you've told me to do in your word. I'm going to work hard and get back to where you want me to be." But if that is where it's left, where does that leave us? Figuring out what to do, and how to completely and utterly love a Being that is so huge and mighty, and ultimately beyond our capacity to love in the way that is needed. Instead, He is the Great Redeemer. He looks at us and says, "Child, just let me love you. I know you've drifted and done me wrong, but because you are mine, you don't have to earn my love. Because you are mine, I'll forgive you an uncountable number of times. Because you are mine, I will never fail to come for you."
What rest there is in allowing God to love us! In the knowledge that this love isn't something earned, but something given freely! Our faith is lived out in action, true, and that action is made real and beautiful and worthwhile because of our love for Christ. But our faith-acts, these powerful, God-driven things that we do for the furthering of His Kingdom, can only be done to their full potential as the love of the Father flows in and through us. It is His love that fills us, and allows us to love Him, because without it we are utterly incapable. It is His love that makes us have the desire to spread His name where it is not yet known, because we have experienced the wonderment and fulfillment that is only found in Him. It is the love of Christ that gives us bravery, and makes us no afraid. If it rested on our shoulders, if our faith was determined by how we excelled, or failed, at loving God, all would be lost. We would never be able to arrive at a place where we loved Him enough to feel that fulfillment or that bravery. We would never find the strength to venture into the unknown on His behalf, knowing He was beside us, because our insecure human nature would be fighting us, and our enemy would be whispering lies in our ear about how we aren't enough. And we aren't. That part is not a lie. Alone, we will never be enough for all that God has for us. It is only when He is the one filling us with His passion and purpose that we are able to accomplish the task, and to spread His glory, and to love Him!
What great peace there is in that! Our job description has changed from seeker to receiver, and all we must do is to accept the love. The rest comes from humility, and it's still not guaranteed to be an easy road, but the Father's yoke is light. Because He carries the burdens for us. And with His love fulfilling our souls, we will share. It will radiate from us like a light on a hill! We won't be able to keep it hidden! And all we must do is to accept God's love!
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