Simple Thoughts

All about love...

When you're asked a question like, "How do you define love?," the answer is not one that can be easily stated. The more I run over in my head what love truly means the more complex the definition seems to become. The Bible is very clear about God's love for us. The word "unconditional" is used very often when talking about His love for His children. The textbook definition of unconditional is "without conditions or limitations; absolute." Well, how do you define absolute? So, I looked up absolute and came up with this: "perfect in quality or nature; complete" & "not mixed; pure." Hmmm. This seems like it could be a start.

In Ephesians 3:17-19, Paul writes this to the believers in Ephesus"...and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all fullness of God." (emphasis added). In my Bible, it says in reference to these verses: "God's love is total, says Paul. It reaches every corner of our experience. it is wide-it covers the breadthe of our own experience, and it reaches out to the whole world. God's love is long-it continues the length of our lives. It is high-it rises to the heights of our celebration and elation. His love is deep-it reaches the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death. When you feel shut out or isolated, remember you can never be lost to God's love." Romans 8:35-39 says, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? Just as it is written, 'FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I was intrigued by the comments my Bible made on these verses. Referring to vs. 35 & 36, it says, "This passage reaffirms God's profound love for His people. No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we never can be lost to His love. Suffering should not drive us away from God, but help us to identify with Him further and allow His love to reach and heal us." Notice, nothing that has to do with actual application. How do we allow His love to heal us? Good question, especially when all things around us seem to be falling apart. When nothing we do seems to make sense. When the world is telling us to succeed, but success seems to be empty and unsatisfying. When our mornings are filled with crying out to God for direction and guidance and purpose and these cries are met with a day filled with even more confusion and hardship. I am reminded of the words to a song by Barlow Girl called Never Alone. I don't know all the lyrics, but the ones that stick out to me the most are in the chorus. "I cry out with no reply and I can't feel you by my side, but I'll hold tight to what I know. You're near and I'm never alone." How often do we ask God for guidance and direction only to be met with silence? How often do we try to figure things out in our lives only to find we know even less than we thought?

Back to the comments made on Romans, for vs. 35-39, it says, "These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scripture. Believers have always had to face hardship in may forms: persecutions, illness, imprisonment, even death. These could cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of HIs unconquerable love. Nothing can stop Christ's constant presence with us. God tells us how great His love is so that we will feel secure in Him. If we believe thes overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid." Hmmm, fear. Oh, how Satan uses that little four letter word to drive us away from God. It's interesting because I have been thinking lately about the many things I truly do fear. This is such a reminder of Christ's promise to us. He'll never leave us nor forsake us. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 says, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."

In every situation that seems to have no outs or answer, the immediate response, at least for me, is very often to just get out or want to abandon what I'm doing...very plainly, the easy way. Well, I'm learning and God is constantly showing me that these things are put in my life not just by my own stupid decisions and mistakes, but to push me closer to Him. When I reach the point where my first and only response to trials is to run to my Savior who holds my life in His hands, and when I can rest in the knowledge that God will always give me a way out of hardships (even if it isn't what I think it should be), then I will begin to comprehend His love for me and His plan for my life. God is all powerful and all knowing, but He is not out to get us or put us through things to watch us struggle. How much sweeter is our choice to follow Him when it is made in the midst of tribulation? How much deeper will our walk with Him be when we allow Him to take us through hardships? In Him we have life, in Him we have breath, and in Him, and only Him, will we find comfort.

You might be thinking that I kind of wandered off my original thought. What is the definition of love? Well, in more ways than one, love can be ssen and defined in the way that Christ carries us through the hardest times in our lives to a place we never thought we'd make it to. I want ot end with a very well known poem. Just thoughts to ponder when things are at there worst and there seems to be no hope in sight. Thoughts that truly define, in a way, God's indescribable and unfailing love for us. Again, this person says what I would like to say in a way that I cannot.

posted by Katie @ 4:20 PM