To Love Him Is To Know Him
Paula is getting ready to go to work for a 4 hour shift. It is about 9:00am. I am sitting here on our bed with one leg under the other is a semi-indian style way, watching the Today's show Saturday edition, and sipping coffee with gingerbread creamer. Phileo is snuggled up next to me. I love when he does that. It gives me a taste of what parenthood will be like one day. It just seems like a nice, restful Saturday morning.
Let me set up what I am about to say by saying this:
The only time we, as humans, are able to express absolute unconditional love from the get-go for someone is when we become parents and have that love for our children.
I have been doing some thinging about love. Specifically, I have been thinking about the love we have for God. We talk about how God loves us with an unconditional type of love. We also say that we should have that same type of love toward Him. I can remember, as I was just new to learning about God, wondering how we really could love him unconditionally. I assumed that I loved Him out of fear. I mean, the whole picture of burning in hell for all eternity was decent motive for me to love Him.
God often in the scriptures illustrates our relationship with him with the image of marriage. I have used those thoughts in many of my sermons, but yet I think I have missed one side of it.
When a man meets a woman, there is usually something that attracts him to her and vice versa. For me, for instance, I am an eye and butt man (sorry for being so open). I also like someone who has a humorous personality. Paula told me I married her for her voice. Paula likes eyes and lips. I have always told her that she married me just because I played the piano and we all know how hard it is if one the people in a corps officer couple doesn't play the piano.
Regardless of what initially drew us to each other, it was
conditional. If I didn't have the qualities that attract Paula, would she have even considered me? I don't think I would have if she didn't reflect what I was looking for. Our love was initially a conditional love. Don't get me wrong, I loved Paula. I truly fell for her, but there were conditions that caused that to happen.
But, as I grew to REALLY know Paula, the person behind what I see, my love grew to become unconditional. All the things that initially drew me to her could wither away and yet my love for her would never change. My love for her is no strong that nothing else matters.
Let's take that same idea and apply it to our love for God. I initially loved God because of certain conditions. I loved Him because 1) He died on the cross for me. He did something for me, which is definately condition. 2) If I love Him, I won't burn for eternity in Hell, another reason why I love Him.
But, as I started to invest in a relationship with God, I started to REALLY know God as a person. My love for Him is just because it is love for Him. Now, I could learn that He didn't die on the cross and that Hell is not really a possibility and it wouldn't matter I think. Of course, those things ARE real and true, but just if...
If you think about it, it is actually sad that God, who loves us unconditionally, has to use conditions to get into our lives. I am glad He did it though. And to know that, even when someone is sentenced to Hell, he still loves them unconditionally.
I think it would be like a parent struggling to show their child the right way. "Don't touch the stove, it is hot. It will burn you, little one, and I don't want to see you in pain. You must trust me about this. I know what will happen and I love you too much to not try to keep you from that suffering."
God constantly gives them opportunities and tools to do right. He warns them, with much concern, that if they refuse to do things His way, the wrong way, they could be made to suffer. He tells them that, if they choose the wrong way in spite of what He has warned, He will let them suffer the consequences.
When someone says, "How could a loving God send someone to Hell to suffer?" We know they don't know God. They don't know His love. He doesn't send anyone to Hell and never will. He actually tried to save them from Hell. We chose our course and therefore chose the destination.
I survived.
Wayne
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9:08 AM
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