How can we respond any other way? How can we be wrecked by the love of God and not fall facedown on the ground before him?
If you have yet to experience the love of the Father in a radical way let me explain to you the love he has for us.
The first thing to know is that his love is the highest form of it there is. Completely selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional, persisting no matter the circumstances. It is always giving and seeking for us to have what is best for each of us individually and as the Church of Christ. There is nothing lacking in the arms of the Father as he is steadfast and abounding in love. Slow to anger and quick to forgive. His grace and love and mercies are new every morning. We truly cannot fully understand or comprehend deep and vast this unfailing love for us is.
Sometimes these statements may seem insignificant or mundane. We may have heard many times that God loves us, but until we truly experience it, there is no way that we can have reverence for him. And again, when we do encounter it how can we not become completely humble and bow before him?
Not only do we get to see the example that Christ set for us in sacrificing himself for the salvation of all people, but we also get the opportunity to live like him. We should strive to know him more and more everyday so that his character transforms ours to be more like him. Jesus calls us to be his hands and feet, and how could we do that if we don’t know the love he has for the whole world? My prayer is that Christians everywhere would start to live radically and love without fear of man.
Here are two ways this has applied to my life this recently. Firstly is that we do something regularly on the race called feedback. This is when teams have a chance to call each other higher in order to look more like Christ. We get to affirm each other in the good things that we see, but we also get to encourage each other to change ways of thinking or speaking or acting when we see things that aren’t Christlike. Affirming happens much more than encouraging but one such instance of receiving encouraging, or constructive, feedback was to my team as a whole from our team leader Jackie. She had noticed that as a team, we hadn’t been serving each other well. This hit me because I say that I love to serve others but I realized that she was right. I had not been loving my team well because I had been lacking in servitude. Thank you Jesus for feedback and that you have allowed us to call each other higher.
The second example also involves Jackie. Basically the Lord told one of our squad leaders, Anna, to shave her head but she really didn’t want to because for a long time she has had long flowy hair and was known as the girl with good hair. She felt that if she went through with it people would look at her differently and that no one would love her. So Abba being the kind Father that he is, asked Jackie to do it with her. He basically told her that she gets to walk alongside and love Anna in this way. And with the love that Jackie carries for the Lord and for Anna she obediently said yes. I am so grateful for a leader that values the Lord in such high esteem that she sets a great example for those of us who are privileged to know her.
Abba you love so well. So deeply and fully and sacrificially. We don’t deserve what you have given to us but may we forever remain grateful for the love that you have lavished freely upon us. May we live out of a place of overflow so that the love we have received we may pass onto others that are around us. You selflessly died for the sins of all humankind, all generations. Thank you for letting us partner with you in order for more people to encounter the love you have for them. Let us not strive for the gifts or for things that come from you but rather give us a hunger to solely know and desire who you are. Help us to know how to love well for the benefit of your kingdom.
