With Valentine’s Day just the other day people were extremely excited or extremely depressed, very few were indifferent. Valentine’s Day has been labeled as a day of love and romance. It is the one day out of the year you are supposed to show and receive love. It’s funny how we are only made to purposely show love on one day out of the year. We put a lot into this day. Some people determine the true love of their significant other based on how they show their love on this day. Weird isn’t it. A whole relationship revolves around a couple of holidays and gifts. Well maybe it’s not as crazy as it sounds.
When you think about God and His love it always seems to go back to one day. So much so, that we use this one day to bring others into the body of Christ. There is even one scripture that we are taught from young children and seem to remember forever, can you guess what it is?? Yup John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. From this we understand the sacrifice of love like no other. God gave His Son’s life so that He may have all His children with Him for eternity, all “in the name of love.”
Though the thought of this isn’t at all new to us, it still never ceases to amaze me. Why would God do such a thing? He had a perfect son, one that loved Him completely and wholly. Yet He wanted us as well. He wanted you so much that instead of just wiping the world clean of its hateful, disobedient and selfish self He sent His Son to be beaten, ostracized, spit on, hated and then killed. Not just any kind of killing but the most disgraceful killing of a man guilty or innocent ever thought of. But He did this for you. In the name of love
So what is our response for this great gift? If this was Valentine’s Day and our significant other gave us the ultimate gift. You know the gift we don’t even ask for because we know it is too much to ask of someone. Plus we know that we don’t really deserve anything of that magnitude, even though we desire it. So when we get it we are so surprised, grateful and willing to do anything to show our appreciation. At least we are initially. Once the nuance of it all wears off, no matter the cost of the gift we have depreciated its value with every passing day. It no longer makes us light up and want to do summersaults at the thought of it. We leave it hanging around, let dust collect on it or let people demean it, as they and we compare it to something new that seems to have more value. Satisfaction simply not guaranteed. We still love the person but we are waiting for the next opportunity or next gift where they can prove their love. How tiring it must be to always have to prove your love. If you ever had to be that person in a relationship you no matter what you did they were NEVER satisfied. The feeling is not a good one. There is a scene in one of my favorite movies “the five heartbeats” where the guy says “every night I have to prove my love.” Trust he wasn’t saying that with a smile on his face.
If this is not the kind of relationship you want to be in with a man then why do you stay in this relationship with God? Better yet why does He stay in it with you, all in the name of love? I say this because we have all find ourselves in this role with God at one time or another. He gave us the ultimate gift His son and it was great in the beginning. We were amazed by the sacrifice He made for little old, non-deserving us. We wanted everyone to know about how much God loved us. We wanted this feeling to last forever. It was the best thing anyone could have done for you. But because you quietly thought you did something right that made Him extend this love to you, when you no longer felt like you could live up to the pedestal you thought He put you on you backed away from Him. Or maybe in your pursuit to live “right” not understanding that things done in your own strength don’t last and that it is only through Him that all things are possible you fell so hard, you thought He wouldn’t want you because of your own disappointment in yourself. Or maybe none of the above, maybe you got saved but no one really taught you what that meant so now you’re not even aware of all that you have in this Great God. Maybe you’ve been hurt by man and blame it on God because He allowed it. Maybe you asked God to change you but the process seemed to be too harsh to come from this loving God they talk about. Maybe though it felt good in the beginning, the requirements to maintain it were too much for you to bear. Maybe everything you thought about giving your life to Christ isn’t what you thought it to be.
We find ourselves saying but I do love Him. I’m just not ready or able to do all the things He’s asking. It’s too much, too many rules. His expectations are way too high. I know He speaks of great rewards to those who will both love and obey Him but but but… I’m not perfect. I can’t do all these things. If I leave him, who will I have? If I stop hanging out with them, who will I talk to? If I stop doing the things I used to do, they will say I changed. It’s funny the sacrifices we won’t make for God. But just like a typical girlfriend, just because I’m unwilling to do certain things for the betterment of our relationship I still expect you to do things for me. Nothing major just the small stuff like wake me up, provide me with a house, job, transportation, money, protect me, love me, bless me abundantly, give me favor when I don’t deserve it, treat me like I’m the only one on earth, watch over my family and friends, keep me when I’m falling, save me from myself, stop that bullet sent out for me from hitting me, forgive me when I make mistakes even though I do it consciously and repeatedly, see just like I said small stuff.
When will we stop putting conditions on unconditional love? The love you have with God should be unconditional both ways but our actions say it’s a one sided kind of love. I’ve had friends, even myself who has been used in relationships and I promised never to allow anyone to do that to me again. But it’s happened more than once. I’ve returned to relationships that were unfulfilling, abusive, degrading all in the name of love. The personal benefit for me was costly and the return on it was below minimal but I stayed. I stayed because I saw potential, I thought they change, they needed me, I could help make them better, or I didn’t want to start over whatever the case I convinced myself it wasn’t as bad as it felt. I made myself believe that the good times outweighed the bad or that this is what I deserved.
If I was willing to do this for someone so undeserving how much more should I be willing to do this for God? What does truly loving God look like to Him? Well the bible tells us in (amp) 1 John 5:1-5
1EVERYONE WHO believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) is a born-again child of God; and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him (His offspring).
2By this we come to know (recognize and understand) that we love the children of God: when we love God and obey His commands (orders, charges)–[when we keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and His teaching].
3For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous).
4For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith.
5Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]?
If this is the case and our love for God is true and this is the evidence of that truth why can’t I just let it all go and walk away from the things I know don’t bring me any lasting joy? Why I am struggling with things that don’t benefit me? Empty relationships I refuse to walk away from because I’ve been in them so long. Is it because I’ve lost my identity? I no longer know who I really am. I believe what they say or even what I say about myself instead of what God says. Everything that God says we are, we seem to forget. The bible says in Psalm 139:14 reads; “I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are your works, and my soul knows very well.” In the original Hebrew text, the word ‘fearfully’ means: with great reverence and heart-felt interest and respect. The word ‘wonderfully’ means: unique, set apart, uniquely marvelous. This is who God says you are and He should know He created you! The question becomes when will you believe what God has said, so much so that no one could make you believe anything different? When will you make the necessary changes in the name of love for not just God but for you??
People always want to know, how do I do this? If you want any easy answer I got it. The answers are easy the process is what has its challenges but so what!!! Life is full of challenges no matter which god you choose to serve? It’s just that my God offers you a help so much so that when Jesus was leaving He said when I leave my Father will send you a helper John 14:15-17 The bible is full of answers the question is do you really want them? See Jesus said He has come to make the secret things known to us. But if you don’t want to hear the secrets of success, happiness, joy, everlasting life, peace, wealth and so on then close your ears because I’m about to tell those who want something better for themselves, who are tired of being tired who no longer want to be mediocre who believe that there has to be more to life than drama, frustration, drugs, unnecessary pain, poverty, anger and hopelessness. I’m about to tell you that if you the biggest secret ever told the answer is JESUS!! That’s it just Jesus. If you didn’t know this before than in the name of love I beg you to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NKJV) says
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
If you think you know Him but there is no real evidence of your love by His standards. I implore you to dig deeper to redefine your commitment to Him. If you think you are solid and there is no change needed then help me because as much as I feel like I am doing this walk right I still fall, I still struggle, I still don’t always please Him. So I’m not asking anyone to do what I am unwilling to do, just the opposite I am asking you to do this with me.
Young and In love with Christ 