February 9, 1953
Someone tells the story of a young boy who, for some reason, did not have any friends at school, perhaps he was handicapped. In any case, when Valentines’ day rolled around, he insisted on making and giving valentines to his classmates. His mother was concerned for his feelings because she thought he may not receive any in return.
On Valentine’s Day, the little fellow went to school with his package of cards. That afternoon, she watched him come up the front sidewalk, head down, muttering to himself. As he came closer, she could hear him say, “Not one, not even one...”
It seems her fears had been realized. As she prepared to console him, she was startled when he looked up at her, face radiant, and said, “Not one, I didn’t miss one, everyone got a card.”
Perhaps love is the most misunderstood human capacity. Most of us realize that physical attraction is most commonly mistaken for love, but we can also confuse love with admiration or hero-worship. Furthermore, deep desires for financial or emotional security can obscure our thinking to the point we are convinced we “love” someone that seems to be able to meet those needs. Loneliness, pity, fear or other emotions can also cloud our judgment. We can even think we love someone who is either unusually kind or helpful toward us or appears to need and appreciate us.
With some of these misconceptions in mind, it appears this thing we call love usually depends a great deal on what the other person does or is. If they somehow meet a need we have or make us feel good, or are attractive and arouse our desires, we call it “love.” Very few understand love as that little boy.
The Bible tells us that God loves us perfectly. When our lives are comfortable and nothing is happening out of our control, we may believe it. Yet whenever a senseless “act of God” happens, the normal human response is grave doubts concerning His love. As in human relationships, we gauge how much God loves by how comfortable or how delighted He allows us to feel.
Many times our response toward Him is the same. That is, we love Him when He is good to us, but find our passion for God cools again when life is not as we hoped or expected. A well-known Christian singer tells of visiting a country where the people were not well off. She was amazed how these people praised God yet “they had nothing.” She finally realized that they loved God for who He is, not for what He did for them.
As I think about that, it seems that perfect love is like that and it goes both ways. That is, we are to love Him “with all our heart and soul and mind and strength,” not just for the comforts He gives us but for who He is – our God who is totally worthy of all our adoration. We are able to do that only as we realize that “He first loved us” and demonstrated it by sending His Son to die for us.
God’s love for us certainly does not depend on what we do for Him. He is complete in Himself and needs nothing from us. He simply loves us for who we are – people that He created, people that He desires will spend eternity with Him. It is a love illustrated by a little boy with a stack of valentines – a love that reaches out to all and whose greatest desire is that not one misses out, not even one.
Showing posts with label loved. Show all posts
Showing posts with label loved. Show all posts
Monday, November 23, 2015
Friday, October 24, 2014
The Perfect Man ................... Parables 187
October 18, 1989
The perfect man! He’s the hero on a favorite TV show. He never says anything wrong. He never does anything wrong. He’s clever, witty, good looking, quick thinking, hard working and drives a nice car. What more could a gal want?
But he’s not real. He is the product of a script and a director. He does what he is told and says only the lines given to him. He has a cosmetician who paints over his facial flaws, technicians who solve his mechanical problems and a staff of writers that get him out of every possible mess or problem he could encounter. A perfect man? Not likely.
While some gals dream on, imagining a “perfect 10”, most have to admit it’s impossible to find one. But it would be nice. No relationship problems, only perfect bliss.
Well, before the bubble breaks, there actually is a perfect man. He doesn’t quite fit all the criteria listed above though. He never owned a car. And there are no reliable photos or posters displaying his appearance so we don’t even know what He looks like. He probably worked hard at his trade (carpentry) but there is no record of that either. What we do know is that everything he ever said or ever did totally pleased God.
For some that don’t know the standard of God, that may not seem like a significant accomplishment. Yet God’s rating system goes much higher than our perfect 10. For instance, God says even unloving thoughts are sin, never mind unkind words and thoughtless actions. Let’s be honest, even TV heroes are not given that kind of character.
Lies, evil thoughts, unjust anger against another, selfishness, hate, jealousy -- all mar our hope for perfection. Furthermore, everyone, from a pagan in Africa to the godliest saint in the church, is guilty of something. But not this man. It is said of Him that “even though He was tempted in all points as we are, He was without sin.” That makes Him the only perfect man. Of course, I’m talking about Jesus Christ.
This started out alluding to love -- how did religion come into it? Well, I’m still talking about love. This perfect man offers perfect love too. Here are only a few characteristics of His love: First, it’s unconditional. That means that no matter what we do, He still loves us. His love is not earned or deserved; He loves because it’s His nature to love.
Secondly, His love is enduring, it lasts forever; not like human love, which has limits. His love is kind, patient and never keeps records of our mistakes. He rejoices when we do well, is saddened when we fail, but never gives up on us no matter how many times we let Him down. He holds no grudges and never reminds us of our mistakes once we acknowledge them to Him. In fact, He continually forgives them all.
We might fling “You just don’t understand” at most human lovers but not Him. He came to earth and went through whatever we go through so He knows how we feel. He even feels our pain with us. Whatever our ideas, problems, or concerns, we can take them to Him and He’ll never laugh at us, put us down, or make us feel rejected, inferior or worthless.
And His love is not mere words. That is, He doesn’t just say, “I love you” and then do nothing to prove it. He laid down His life for those He loves. And He did it without rose-colored glasses. He knew that many would turn around and mock Him for it, but He did it anyway. What more proof could anyone offer?
Those who have embraced the gift of His love enjoy His patience with our imperfections, but even more, we enjoy Him. He takes us into an intimacy of relationship where He fully shares Himself. No other man, TV heroes or otherwise, have His inexhaustible resources to draw from, His perfection of character.
Yes, there is a perfect man, only one.
The perfect man! He’s the hero on a favorite TV show. He never says anything wrong. He never does anything wrong. He’s clever, witty, good looking, quick thinking, hard working and drives a nice car. What more could a gal want?
But he’s not real. He is the product of a script and a director. He does what he is told and says only the lines given to him. He has a cosmetician who paints over his facial flaws, technicians who solve his mechanical problems and a staff of writers that get him out of every possible mess or problem he could encounter. A perfect man? Not likely.
While some gals dream on, imagining a “perfect 10”, most have to admit it’s impossible to find one. But it would be nice. No relationship problems, only perfect bliss.
Well, before the bubble breaks, there actually is a perfect man. He doesn’t quite fit all the criteria listed above though. He never owned a car. And there are no reliable photos or posters displaying his appearance so we don’t even know what He looks like. He probably worked hard at his trade (carpentry) but there is no record of that either. What we do know is that everything he ever said or ever did totally pleased God.
For some that don’t know the standard of God, that may not seem like a significant accomplishment. Yet God’s rating system goes much higher than our perfect 10. For instance, God says even unloving thoughts are sin, never mind unkind words and thoughtless actions. Let’s be honest, even TV heroes are not given that kind of character.
Lies, evil thoughts, unjust anger against another, selfishness, hate, jealousy -- all mar our hope for perfection. Furthermore, everyone, from a pagan in Africa to the godliest saint in the church, is guilty of something. But not this man. It is said of Him that “even though He was tempted in all points as we are, He was without sin.” That makes Him the only perfect man. Of course, I’m talking about Jesus Christ.
This started out alluding to love -- how did religion come into it? Well, I’m still talking about love. This perfect man offers perfect love too. Here are only a few characteristics of His love: First, it’s unconditional. That means that no matter what we do, He still loves us. His love is not earned or deserved; He loves because it’s His nature to love.
Secondly, His love is enduring, it lasts forever; not like human love, which has limits. His love is kind, patient and never keeps records of our mistakes. He rejoices when we do well, is saddened when we fail, but never gives up on us no matter how many times we let Him down. He holds no grudges and never reminds us of our mistakes once we acknowledge them to Him. In fact, He continually forgives them all.
We might fling “You just don’t understand” at most human lovers but not Him. He came to earth and went through whatever we go through so He knows how we feel. He even feels our pain with us. Whatever our ideas, problems, or concerns, we can take them to Him and He’ll never laugh at us, put us down, or make us feel rejected, inferior or worthless.
And His love is not mere words. That is, He doesn’t just say, “I love you” and then do nothing to prove it. He laid down His life for those He loves. And He did it without rose-colored glasses. He knew that many would turn around and mock Him for it, but He did it anyway. What more proof could anyone offer?
Those who have embraced the gift of His love enjoy His patience with our imperfections, but even more, we enjoy Him. He takes us into an intimacy of relationship where He fully shares Himself. No other man, TV heroes or otherwise, have His inexhaustible resources to draw from, His perfection of character.
Yes, there is a perfect man, only one.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Rejected? ........................... Parables 080
“Nobody’s Child” is a movie portraying the life of a woman who was admitted to a mental institution at 16 and spent most of the following 20 years there.
Her illness? Childhood rejection. Even remote reminders of her past caused her extreme anxiety. Sometimes she became violent in her fear. One incident sent her into two years of silent withdrawal.
Finally, one doctor recognized the emotional need of this woman and began to express loving concern for her as a individual. She encouraged her to turn from her fears and develop some life skills. “Nobody’s Child” responded to that love and eventually moved into her own apartment, earned a college degree, and reached the potential that her doctor saw in her. It was a very dramatic true story.
Of course, not everyone who suffers becomes movie material. Sometimes there is no one that cares about their needs. Sometimes they fail to respond to anyone who does try to help. Whatever the reasons, all stories do no have a happy ending.
But everyone understands rejection. Whether a person is a “different” child in school, abandoned by someone they hoped would love them, or just turned away when there was a desire to participate - rejection hurts.
The Psalmist knew about rejection too. He says “When my father and mother forsake me...” Yet he found there is One who never turns anyone away. “...then the Lord will take me up” (Psalm 27:10).
The Lord Himself offers love. Even if there is no one to pick up the pieces, such as the doctor in the movie, God is always there. His love goes far beyond that of the most caring person. In fact, The Lord’s love never gives up.
He says, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). He said this to a nation who resisted Him, who fell into idolatry, and turned their back on Him. But in His love, He continued to draw them, wanting to restore them to a love-relationship with Himself.
His love extends beyond those ancient nations to us. Even though all mankind has “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”, “God has demonstrated His love toward us...” He knows we can not and will not seek restoration so He made the first move and “...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Our sin is an affront to His holiness and separates us from Him, but His Son was willing to pay the full penalty for our sin. The cross is God’s message that says, “There... I love you.”
We need to recognize that our “illness” is sin. We cannot cure it ourselves, or even demand a cure. We do not deserve it. The mercy and grace of God, through the sacrifice of His Son, provides forgiveness and cleansing, the cure we need.
God will not accept into His presence people who are defiled and unholy, so we also need righteousness. This we do not have but because of God’s love, that is also provided in Christ.
Just as the woman in the movie could not make herself well and then go to the doctor, we cannot make our lives acceptable and then go to the Savior. He saves, we do not. And when He does, we are forgiven and transformed, given grace to become all we can be, with hope for a “happy ever after” when this life is over.
Her illness? Childhood rejection. Even remote reminders of her past caused her extreme anxiety. Sometimes she became violent in her fear. One incident sent her into two years of silent withdrawal.
Finally, one doctor recognized the emotional need of this woman and began to express loving concern for her as a individual. She encouraged her to turn from her fears and develop some life skills. “Nobody’s Child” responded to that love and eventually moved into her own apartment, earned a college degree, and reached the potential that her doctor saw in her. It was a very dramatic true story.
Of course, not everyone who suffers becomes movie material. Sometimes there is no one that cares about their needs. Sometimes they fail to respond to anyone who does try to help. Whatever the reasons, all stories do no have a happy ending.
But everyone understands rejection. Whether a person is a “different” child in school, abandoned by someone they hoped would love them, or just turned away when there was a desire to participate - rejection hurts.
The Psalmist knew about rejection too. He says “When my father and mother forsake me...” Yet he found there is One who never turns anyone away. “...then the Lord will take me up” (Psalm 27:10).
The Lord Himself offers love. Even if there is no one to pick up the pieces, such as the doctor in the movie, God is always there. His love goes far beyond that of the most caring person. In fact, The Lord’s love never gives up.
He says, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). He said this to a nation who resisted Him, who fell into idolatry, and turned their back on Him. But in His love, He continued to draw them, wanting to restore them to a love-relationship with Himself.
His love extends beyond those ancient nations to us. Even though all mankind has “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”, “God has demonstrated His love toward us...” He knows we can not and will not seek restoration so He made the first move and “...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Our sin is an affront to His holiness and separates us from Him, but His Son was willing to pay the full penalty for our sin. The cross is God’s message that says, “There... I love you.”
We need to recognize that our “illness” is sin. We cannot cure it ourselves, or even demand a cure. We do not deserve it. The mercy and grace of God, through the sacrifice of His Son, provides forgiveness and cleansing, the cure we need.
God will not accept into His presence people who are defiled and unholy, so we also need righteousness. This we do not have but because of God’s love, that is also provided in Christ.
Just as the woman in the movie could not make herself well and then go to the doctor, we cannot make our lives acceptable and then go to the Savior. He saves, we do not. And when He does, we are forgiven and transformed, given grace to become all we can be, with hope for a “happy ever after” when this life is over.
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