The Ultimate Love Story
The coffee was brewing, the morning sun streaming through the window and in the quietude of dawn, an idea took root in my mind - an idea about love, the kind of love we're told about in the Bible. The love we, as Christians, are asked to embody. Yet, how do we comprehend such a vast, all-encompassing love, one that compels us to love God with all our heart, soul, and might?
This question has rattled around in my mind like a coin in a tumble dryer. And I can't help but think that it’s not a case of our inability to understand but more about our willingness to accept. Just like when my Uncle Bob attempted to assemble a flat-pack wardrobe, without reading the instructions, the result was less of a wardrobe and more of a leaning tower of Pisa. It wasn't that he couldn't do it; he just wouldn't follow the guidance.
With that image in your mind, let's dive in, shall we? We are told in Deuteronomy 6:5, "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." This is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 22:37. But what does this look like in practice? It's not simply about having warm, fuzzy feelings about God, although there's no harm in that. It's about loving God through the diligent use of our minds, strength and, yes, even our natural brainpower.
Let's consider Peter for a moment. There he was, a simple fisherman, yet he was called upon to use all his might, all his mind, to understand and serve God. You see, we're not asked to park our intellect at the door when we come to God. It's about using all our abilities, whether they be physical or mental, in service of our heavenly Father.
It reminds me of my Aunt Margaret. Now she was no scholar, but she used to love the Lord with a gusto that was truly inspiring. Whether it was helping at the church soup kitchen or singing at the top of her lungs in the choir, she gave it her all. You see, love for God isn't purely an intellectual endeavour. It's practical. It's action-oriented.
Of course, we're told the second commandment is like the first - loving our neighbour as ourselves. The way we show love to others, how we express kindness and compassion, these aren't separate from our love for God; they are expressions of it.
How then do we, in our everyday lives, show this love, this devotion? It's in the small acts of service, the teaching and encouraging of young people, the care for those in need, whether it's a practical help or a spiritual one. Like my cousin Jimmy who, despite his hectic schedule, volunteers his time every weekend at the local food bank. It's about giving what we can, however small it might seem, to the service of God.
And that's where our Lord Jesus Christ comes in. As I sip my coffee and watch the morning light stream through the window, I'm reminded of the full measure of God's love embodied in Jesus. He loved God, his father, with all his heart, all his soul, and all his might, right till the very end.
He set us an example, a benchmark if you will, of what it means to love God obediently with every fibre of our being. His sacrificial service shows us the extent of God's love for us, a love that chose to save us when we were utterly unlovable. As Romans 5 says, "Christ died for the ungodly". That's us, isn't it? Ungodly, undeserving, yet recipients of an objective love, the kind that dies for another. Isn't it mind-boggling, heart-stirring stuff?
You know, my old neighbour Fred once said to me, "Love's a tricky business," as he nursed a black eye from an overly competitive game of squash. He was right, of course, but not in the way he thought. Loving God, really loving Him, is indeed a tricky business. We might stumble, we might fall, but we keep trying because of the love He first showed us.
As John tells us, "We love him because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). What's interesting here is that our love for God isn't a spontaneous generation from within ourselves; it's a response, a reciprocation to the love He showed us. We are, quite literally, loved into loving.
Now, all of this brings us to a crucial point. We've been saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It's God's gift to us, but what do we do with it? It's like when Aunt Margaret once gave me a fancy Swiss watch, a beautiful piece, really. But what good would it do if I left it in its box, gathering dust on a shelf?
In the same way, this gift of love, this grace we've received, must stir us into action. It must make us pause, take stock, and really consider the kind of love that Jesus showed us. The kind of love that laid down its life for us.
Are we truly comprehending the breadth and depth of this love? The severity of the sacrifice made on our behalf? It's like trying to take a sip from a fire hose, isn't it? It's overwhelming, overpowering, yet it's exactly what we're called to understand and emulate.
Imagine the day when you first fell in love. Do you remember that exhilarating rush of affection, the inability to think about anything else? Now multiply that feeling infinitely, and we might begin to grasp a fraction of the love that God has for us.
Jesus died for us, and the appropriate response, then, is to live for Him. How do we do that? Well, remember the wardrobe assembly? It's all about following the instructions. In our case, the Bible is our instruction manual, guiding us on how to live a life pleasing to God.
Jesus became a living sacrifice for us. Shouldn't we then offer ourselves as living sacrifices, giving ourselves wholly to God, in all we think, say, and do? I'm not saying it's easy, no more than Uncle Bob's attempt at assembling that wardrobe. But the result, in our case, will be more beautiful than any piece of furniture.
Now, as we approach the end of our little chat, think about this: Love isn't just an emotion; it's a choice, an action, a sacrifice. It's deciding to care for someone else more than yourself. It's Jesus on the cross, choosing to suffer so we might live. It's God, giving His only Son so we could become His children.
So, let us accept this love, let us embrace it, let us live it. The next time you have your morning coffee, take a moment to contemplate the full measure of God's love. Ask yourself, are you ready to love Him back with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might?
As we've laughed and learned together today, let's remember that God's love isn't a dusty old concept in a musty old book. It's living and active, it's coursing through our lives, transforming us, strengthening us, compelling us to love Him back with all that we are.
Let's reflect on this love, not just in the privacy of our homes, but in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Let's remember the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf each time we're faced with a choice - to follow our own will or to surrender to His. Remember the Swiss watch sitting on the shelf? Let's not leave this love unattended; let's wear it on our sleeves, showing it in our actions and words.
We need to constantly remind ourselves about this love. Just like when you're learning to play a new instrument and you need to practise every day until your fingers find the chords without thought, our practice is daily surrender, daily service, daily love.
It's an everyday journey, not a destination. Some days might be harder than others. Sometimes, it might feel like we're trying to wrangle an octopus into a string bag. It's in those moments, we need to remind ourselves of the cross, the symbol of perfect love and sacrifice.
Doesn't it make your heart thrum with excitement, knowing that such a love exists? Doesn't it stir something within you, a desire to know more, to love more? Let this love guide your actions, colour your thoughts, and determine your choices.
Take, for example, the way we treat others. If we're filled with God's love, it should naturally overflow into our relationships. We should be kinder, more compassionate, more understanding. We should be the ones bringing light into someone's dark day, offering a word of encouragement, lending a helping hand.
Now, I don't mean we all need to rush out and start volunteering at the local food bank like cousin Jimmy, although there's nothing wrong with that. It could be as simple as lending a listening ear to a friend in need or offering a helping hand to a neighbour. It's about being mindful of the opportunities around us, to show God's love in practical ways.
Remember the wisdom from 1 Peter 4:10, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." Each one of us has a unique gift, a talent, a strength that we can use to love God and to love others. Like Aunt Margaret, who used her passion for cooking to feed the hungry. Or Uncle Bob, who, despite his misadventure with the wardrobe, used his woodworking skills to repair furniture for those who couldn't afford new ones.
At the end of the day, the question we must ask ourselves is this: Are we living a life that reflects the love we've received from God? Are we becoming the living sacrifices Paul talks about in Romans 12:1?
As you reflect on these thoughts, I'd like to leave you with a little challenge. Tomorrow, as the sun peeks through your window and you reach for your morning coffee, take a moment to ponder - How can I live today in response to the love I've received? How can I love God with all my heart, all my soul, all my might? Remember, it's not a competition or a checklist; it's a personal journey, an intimate walk with God.
So, are you ready to embrace the full measure of God's love? Are you ready to live a life worthy of the love that was first shown to you? Well, grab your metaphorical toolkit, and let's start assembling this life of love, piece by piece, together.
