“For God so loved the world…” The most famous verse of all. Repeated so often that its meaning can sometimes be diluted. But the first four words offer up the most delicate truth in all of eternity. For God so loved. Before anything else, He loved.
But love can hurt. For me, it’s a tender subject. Because it has hurt. It has burned. It has left. It has betrayed. It has lied. It has changed. It has done me wrong. But what if that was never love at all? Love is tender, it always has been. But it’s also pure. And just. Righteous. Pursuant. Perfect. Love is perfect because God is love. He always has been because His love is the image we were crafted in. His love is written in our DNA. We were made by Love for love in love. You haven’t been burned by love. You’ve been burned by people who misrepresented it to you. Imperfect people in an imperfect world. A world made imperfect by sin. This fallen world is full of misrepresentation and hurt. And we are just as broken as the world we reside in. Utterly helpless in a shattered state. But utterly helpless has been met with ultimate Helper. Who helps and heals in perfect love. Love freely given by Love. Acceptance of that beautiful truth is our freedom and our invitation. Our invitation to fall more madly in love with His people, His creation, His character, and most of all His heart whose greatest desire has always been you.
And He doesn’t just claim His love. He proves it, demonstrates it, and acts on it.
“But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Before we ever did anything, He demonstrated His love. When we had nothing to offer. Because we serve a God who’s in the business of creating something beautiful from nothing. Just like when He created the world. But He didn’t stop with Creation. He wants to create something beautiful from your nothing. He doesn’t need anything, He just wants you. And He wants to create beauty in and through you. So bring Him your nothing. Whatever it is. He wants you just as you are. You don’t have to attempt or try to be enough. Just come with your nothing. And watch Him create something more beautiful than you could ever begin to image. He transforms our empty hands to open hands.
So let my prayers be…
Let my life be the proof of Your love
That Your love would change me and that love inside of me would change the world
Come to know Your love in a deeper and powerful way
The blood of Jesus would bleed through me onto all those I encounter
LET MY WEAK LOVE IMITATE THE
OVERWHELMING
PERSISTANT
ABUDANT
PERFECT
AGAPE
LOVE
OF MY GOD
God loves you! So much! 110 days until I get to take that amazing truth to the people of Southeast Asia!
