1 John 4: 7 - 11 NKJV
I once heard a story of a young man who had grown up knowing a different kind of love from his parents than most of us are accustomed to. As a child, the young mans parents would shower him with love and affection, provided he was doing well. However, whenever the child would behave badly or run into the monkey shines that all children do, the love of his parents suddenly turned conditional. "You can get your hugs when you learn to behave in a better way" they would often tell him. Not suprisingly, this child who grew up in a environment of love with conditions grew up to treat his own children the very same way. This was all that he knew I'm guessing. This week Wayne Jacobsen and his sidekick tackled a similar topic in his weekly God Journey podcast. Although Wayne described this as "weaponizing" love, it's basically the same thing. I am thankful that I did not grow up in such a environment. No, my own mother took each and every opportunity to let her children know that her love was strong...and unconditional. Don't get me wrong, I was not always as pure as the driven snow as I am today. Like many kids before me, I tested my mothers patience on a regular basis. Hey, that's what we do right? Through it all, her love for me was never contingent upon how well I behaved. To me, such a love is not love at all but borderline abuse. Yes, I know, there are many who would definately disagree with me on this point. Spare the rod and spoil the child blah blah blah. A few things we need to realize is that
1. There is a fine line between disipline and abuse
2. True love overcomes our own human weaknesses
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the correction and dicipline of a child, as long as it is not tied to our own love for our children. We do well to remember that it is through our Lords unfailing love that He saved us out of our own human weakness {1 John 4:10}. Indeed, when we are at our weakest, He is strong {2 Corinthians 12:10}. The love of God did not hesitate to redeem me when I was in need of Him. That is who He is...God is Love
6For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 6 - 8 NKJV
I found it intersting that Wayne and company would get into a discussion of peoples use of their own love as a weapon. I've seen it before, but only from those who I'm sure did not know the true meaning of love themselves. So what is this thing we call love? Well, if I asked that very question of a few different people I'm sure I'd get a few different answers. Is love what we make it, or is there something else involved? If by something else you mean something we possibly can't understand...then yes. However, the truth is right there on the pages of the new testament. What is love? GOD is love. That is His very nature. Think about it, it is by His unfailing love that Christ became sin on our behalf that we would be spared that penalty we deserved {2 Corinthians 5:21}. Each time we praise our heavenly Father for our own salvation, it is all due to his unfailing love for us. Gods love is truly unconditional. He does not withhold or hold back who He truly is. He simply exhibits His own nature. Just as we ourselves have characteristics that tell who we are, so it is with God. Knowing this, we can honestly say that it is totally outside of the nature of God to withhold His love for His children. It is also not in His nature to use His love for me as a weapon to get me to tow the christian line. If that were the case then each and every one of us would need to earn our own salvation. Again, we're told that this isn't the case {Ephesians 2: 8-9}. In God we will find only love, that is who He is. In man we will find the guilt, shame and condemnation disguised as love.
Last night I dreamed I died and stood outside those pearly gates
When suddenly I realized there must be some mistake
If they knew half the things I've done they'd never let me in
~George Straight - Love without end~
~Scott~
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