I bet you can guess by the title what is on my heart tonight.
Yep, that's right.
L O V E
What an extremely loaded word. We will never be able to fully understand what it means; we will never be able to define it; we will never perfect it; but we sure will know when we feel it.
For any of you who know me well, you know my testimony is flooded with love. I have known it well all my life from family, friends, and most importantly my Lord.
Tonight I don't want to talk about how much I am thankful for that or how blessed I am, even though it is true, but I want to share with you how uncontainable true love is.
I would be wrong to not point out the best example of uncontainable love the world will ever know. No matter how hard I try, I cannot understand why Jesus, perfect and blameless, fully man and fully God came to live in the very same world we live, to change lives, set an example, and then die. To die for people that don't deserve a chance at eternal life, dwelling in the glory of God. And that is even more reason to believe in uncontainable love, it can't fit into our heads, we can't wrap our mind around it. We could read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John until our eyes become weak and it will never make sense. "We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16 But in those words are truth, life, and love. It is the greatest love story I will ever read. My love would do anything for me, He already did.
As I sit here and type, I feel as if I want to explode. I want to scatter love everywhere, I want to infect everyone with it, I want to to become contagious; uncontainable. And I believe I can. "Then Jesus told them, 'I assure you, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:21-22. I will not limit myself because I was created for love; called to love, called to believe, called to pray, and called to have faith.
Think of the world around you. What comes to mind first? The heartbreaking news stories of thefts, accidents, homocides, and suicides? The brokenness of the people who aren't even news worthy; those with no money, no homes, no family, broken bodies, sickness, and pain? What about the celebrities who burn in the spotlights of the tabloids selling lies and airbrushed photos? Or maybe the beautiful teenage girl down the street who you see wearing black sweatshirts with the hood up at the bus stop? And the family who just lost their son to an overdose? No matter how hard you blink, no matter the tears that flow down your cheek, no matter your breaking heart; it will still be there.
So what can we do, for them, for all, for each? Love. Love unconditionally. "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Mark 12:29-30
Un-con-di-tion-al: (adj.) not limited by conditions; absolute. Complete, unqualified.
How incredible is that? I am overwhelmed with joy at the thought that love can come so freely, and even more that I am able to give it freely, without condition. Everyone deserves to know and feel this indescribable piece of life. They NEED it. "This is the message we have heard from the beginning: We should love one another." 1 John 3:12. Don't withhold. I've learned giving love when it hurts is the most rewarding, because it is without regard to yourself. Love is beyond you, beyond them, purely from God. "Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God- for God is love." 1 John 4:7-8
One song has captured my heart the past few days. It beautifully puts into words of worship and adoration our amazement of the Lord and His never ending love. It is lengthly but worth every minute, you won't regret clicking this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilDudqAzDS4
I could write a book on this topic, maybe even fill a library. Someone else already has. But my message isn't to learn about love and what it is. No, I want you to feel it, know it, find it, give it, live it.
There is nothing comparable to true love in this world. And I pray desperately that you will come to experience that personally and forever in eternity. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it." John 3:16-17
No comments:
Post a Comment