“For God so loved the world that, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16
In the mid-1960's, in the U.S., the motto was “Free Love.” It was an oxymoron created by beatniks and hippies to counteract the stodgy-straight-laced rules of the 1950’s, where only a brave few married or interacted with others outside their class, race, income, status, neighborhood, etc. However, the reality is, love does not set you free, and is by no means free. It has a cost. To love, is to be in true bondage in the purest sense of the word. It is complete dependence and emotional surrender to another human being. When you make the decision to love, and do not be fooled, it is a decision, you allow another human being full access to your spirit. This is the reason why it hurts so much when it is purposefully not returned, nurtured, or strengthened. The recovery process does not occur on the façade, the pain does not hide, and it cannot be hidden; it is much too deep and unrelenting.
When we really think about it, who, in their right mind, would elect to relinquish their spirit’s sanity for unabashed emotional surrender? Yet somehow, as human beings, we crave its beauty, its eloquence, its spiritual transcendence —its pain.
In our armor of love we transcend time, space, and energy; and, it is the closest that we come to truly understanding God’s love for humanity in its purest form. Even the pain of love bonds us closer to God. The innate pain of love allows us to freely understand man’s utter betrayal of his first love—God. And, the surrender, or lack thereof, of one to another allows us to deeply empathize with God, gaining a greater more profound understanding of His love for us.
Think about someone you truly love deeply for a moment. Really stop and think about this person. Think about the happiest, most pleasurable moment with this person. Have you done so as yet? I can imagine it is a wonderful memory for you.
Now consider this. --Knowing what you know about the pleasure of loving this person; and, feeling what you are feeling at this very minute, imagine yourself propelled far into the future, where, you can now see that your beloved will betray you and hurt you deeply. You can see your future self and the pain you will experience at an undetermined date in the future. Would you still continue to surrender your heart today, experiencing the high of complete surrender? Or, would you allow the person to go their own way, not knowing what they did wrong—or in this case, what they will do wrong?
Chances are, you would still go through the process of experiencing the love you are currently giving and receiving, dealing with the betrayal in the future, when it actually occurs.
We are God’s beloved; His first Love. The ones He loves in spite of our continual betrayal of His love. The ones He waits for, and longs for. The ones He openly accepts when we show up at His front door, forgiving us without any questions. The ones He gave Jesus for. -- Isn't it time we went back to Him? Hasn't He waited long enough? L.
Study Reference: John 3:16
From: "Freedom to Love." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
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