What do you do with a world full of hurt, hate, and hardness? How does God view us? How can He even love us? Our human minds are not equipped for the answer, "God loves you." Right. I don't believe that. Wait...what do I have to do? What's the catch? I'm not good enough to love.....I've made too many mistakes......I've got nothing to offer.....maybe you don't even care....
We often think of love as something we show only to those who are nice to us...or who deserve to be loved....those who haven't hurt us...those who did something for us. ...but is that really knowing how to love? Why do we need to know how to love?
Consider this: God knew that this world is full of hurt, hate, and hardness, but He still sent His son, Jesus, to die for us (all our sins) anyway. That's something we (I) have a hard time grasping at times. Are you sure that blood is powerful enough to cleanse my sins forever?!! I keep sinning....do you have enough to last?!!! Yes. That blood is powerful but even more powerful is God's LOVE. He chose to love me. He chose to love you. (before we were even born, He wanted to save us) Not because you and I deserved it....He knows you and I are worth it. He desires to spend forever with us! He has enough love and more to last for you and I our entire lives.
You're worth something.
Knowing this can be life-changing...feeling God's love can be overwhelmingly wonderful. I'm the type that needs to feel God's love (I'm weak in that way) but I assure you God answers our desperate needs and cries anyways.
It's hard to be in the world and have the world not rub off on you. God knows this. That's why He wants you to come to Him so He can rub Himself off on you. Bring the pain, the hate, the hurts and the hardness and surrender them to God. This could be an everyday occurrence if you're like me. Maybe this is a good thing though that will keep us running to God.
I have a Ken Davis dvd called Super Sheep. Great message! Get it! Jesus says (John 16:33) you will have trouble and tribulations. I appreciated how Ken pointed out that this is Jesus talking (so pay attention) it's not you may have.... you might.... it's You Will Have Trouble! Then Jesus says so be at peace be happy because He has overcome the world. Don't let the troubles win....If you're with Jesus they won't win over you....You belong to the One who has overcome this troubled world.
I get so pumped sometimes to know that Jesus loves me I completely and totally go "Crazy Christian!" I see a room full of people (this normally scares me I'm a total introvert) and happen to have this sudden rush of love to hug each and everyone of them in the room and tell them Jesus loves me and you!!! YAY!
I can also go "Numb Christian" and forget how much God does loves me and not show any love to the people standing in the room and go completely opposite of the "Crazy Christian."
I think we're afraid to be Crazy Christians at times because we're unsure of how people will take our love...(I can just see all the reactions of faces if I hugged every person in a room...haha! But wouldn't God do that!)....will they take it the right way? Will they be afraid? Is it a stupid idea? What will they think or say? They'll think I'm crazy!! Does it really matter? Do I really have to show them love? Some one else would do better.... So we talk ourselves out of a love act....
It comes down to a few questions for me: Do I really love God enough to do what He wants me to do? I believe the biggest thing that God wants every Christian to do is...LOVE. Love God. Love Everyone else (not just the nice people) Families are separating. Depression is skyrocketing. Many are leaving churches. People are broken and hurt. Hate, hurt and hardness are rampant. I don't need to tell you this but....There's a lack of love.
The other question I ask myself is do I really want to get into this love stuff? It's tough. I don't know how to love sometimes....I don't feel like loving some days.....I let my own hurts and struggles and me stuff get in the way...I'm selfish...I'm really no different than any other person except I've got Jesus. Jesus saw me broken and He came to me despite my shame and brokenness...so I'll quote some song writer...."If you really want to love someone, search their soul for where it's broken, find the cracks and pour your heart in if you want to love someone..." At least that is what God is doing for me....searching me for where I'm broken and filling in my cracks with His love. He does this everyday.
It is hard. It's a fight. God loves me even when I am unlovable....I need to love others even if they are unlovable....I can't do this alone...it's God helping us do this....Yes...when you love, your risks of being hurt go up....wish I could say you won't be hurt.... You know what else goes up if you let God use you? Your love capacity.
I don't want you to think I understand this powerful love of God....I'm still fighting His love for me at times but I know God can use the broken to heal the broken so I must type....I must love....and I must keep running to God for help, love and comfort because this world is so full of trouble.
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