I find it deeply weighty and hard to put into words the radical and upside down ways of God that Jesus lived, modeled, and called us to live out. Maybe the reason it's so hard to wrap around with words is because they are so beyond our human comprehension and in all reality, don't make sense to this human way of thinking.
Why would anyone die for someone else let alone a sinner? Underserving and unfair.
Why should we give to gain? Ridiculous. When I give I don't have it.
Why forgive the one who misused us, hurt us, and caused us pain of any sort? Shouldn't that have justice and revenge?
I am left without words and yet, the work that God has done and continues to do in my own heart bear testimony that the radical love and grace to me - is life-changing and a work in progress (not a destination or attained, but attaining).
The one thing that surprised me the most was this very reality. In my heart and mind I carried the injustices, the pain inflicted by people (which happens to all of us), health issues, and so on. As I carried that, I also carried disappointments, revengeful thoughts of wanting others to hurt, I wanted life to be different. One morning, in desperation as I cried out to God, the thought entered the chaos of pain - Is God a healer? I responded with a yes. Then if God is enough and a healer, then it can happen without anyone else doing 'the right thing' as I saw it.
That morning began a journey of learning to know more of God as God invites us to in Matthew 11:29 - to learn of Me and I will give rest to your soul.
I also wondered that morning and in the days after, 'what is truth?' I kept coming back to the words of God and so I chose them again and again, until one day I realized how deeply embedded in my heart they had become.
As I reflect back over the past six years the one thing that keeps coming to me is - God's love. Ephesians 3:17 talks of being rooted and grounded in God's love.
I also realized how I started to see the world around me and the people in it, differently. It changed the way I viewed situations and others.
Until God's love impacts our heart and becomes our foundation, we cannot truly love others. As we receive God's love in the truest form of grace, then and then only will it change our interactions and enable us to give love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness to others.
Our human interactions are very dependent on our divine relationship! We cannot give what we do not have within.
So, I am going to start with the radical display of God's love for each of us. (Some of us just don't realize how much He loves us and in what way He does...)
As I think of grace, mercy, kindness, forbearance, forgiveness I come to realize that none of this is even possible unless I am first impacted with the love of God.
As I referred to Ephesians 3:17, let's take a look into this passage starting in verse 14. Paul is praying a prayer for the Ephesian people that is for you and me today.
Ephesians 4:14-21
14) For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,
15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16) that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;
17) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18) may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19) and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.
20) Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21) to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
When a plant roots itself in the dirt, it grows.
A tree can withstand massive storms when it is healthy and firmly rooted. (Yeah, I know - tornadoes and hurricanes can uproot even the most stable tree.)
To grow a flower, any fruit, or to produce any vegetable there has to be a root system.
If we are to love, offer mercy and grace, forgive those who wronged us etc it must start with our root system and that is - God's love for us personally. Not for the next person. Not for anyone else. I must receive God and let His love change me as it roots and grounds my heart in Him.
So, we ask the question - "How can this be done? How?"
Since God is love, pure, and wholly love, we start with Him. It says in Matthew 11:28-29, "Come, to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls."
We learn from Jesus. We give as we have received. We start with truth - the truth of God's love.
Jesus' love is unconditional; given while we were still sinners. What anyone in the past has done, never altered God's love. Actions caused results and consequences but never altered the truth that God loved that person.
Since He says He is faithful, the same yesterday, today, and forever; this same truth is for you and me today. What we do or don't do does not alter God loving us.
When that gripped my heart, it altered my decisions and choices.
In the case of a misstep or wrong choice, the truth of God is - upon confession there is forgiveness and no condemnation in Jesus.
When slander and false accusations are said about me, the truth of God is - Jesus knows what that is like and in Him we can find refuge and a defense.
When I felt alone and missed by those around me, the truth of God is - He says He will never leave us or forsake us.
There is a truth and a promise of God's for each and every situation and belief and lie in your head and heart. The truths are endless and when they grip your heart, the pain finds it's healing in the hands of a radical loving God.
Hurt people hurt people. So, in the same way, healed people help bring healing. God's foundational love in our own heart, does just that, brings healing and can enable us to rise above.
To love others in the radical way of Jesus requires the divine interruption within our own heart.
Love is not the gushy, feel-good, all-is-well type of love. No, love in the way of Jesus causes us to sacrifice, to give when we want to retaliate, to find Him above all else.
I Corinthians 13 known as the love chapter and used in many weddings of ages past is really written for the people of the church, Jesus' people. Really?? Why do we need those words? Should we not just have it down pat after saying yes to Jesus?
We don't have to go far from our own house to realize we still continue to inhabit a human body and human way of thinking that needs a continuing saving and redeeming.
What's your first reaction when overlooked for a team, job, or friendship?
What's your first response when someone speaks untruth about you?
What rises up within at any offense or irritation from the person you do life with?
For me, it's not very often the Jesus' way. Yes, I am learning and growing in this area, but it always comes with a wrestling and a surrendering to do it the way of Jesus.
To not retaliate and let vengeance in His hands.
To forgive, laying down my stones of blame and revenge.
To walk another mile when I am weary and want to walk away.
To face the one who betrays and denies with value and truth, as Jesus did.
To be able to utter the words along with Jesus, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
As the list in I Corinthians says - love doesn't keep track of wrongs, it rejoices and weeps with those who do so, it's not arrogant but kind. Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things.
How can I forbear, show compassion, forgive, and be gentle, putting on love as it tells us in Colossians 3:12-14 - again and again?
(Again, this is not condoning abusive situations or unhealthy ones; but to make wise decisions and not based on revenge or unforgiveness but with the wisdom and direction of God.)
This I cannot do - of my own strength or human understanding. It is only as I choose and allow the mind of Christ to invade my own human mind and way of thinking. It is to let Jesus transform and change me from the inside out!
Jesus never retaliated or spoke unkindly about anyone or to anyone. It was always truth with love, inviting even the Pharisee and Publican to know Him. His many parables were a way of showing who He was and inviting them to let His truths change them. For some it did, but for many it did not.
Truth with love always gives two options - either you will receive it and let it change you or you will walk away and it will be a heavy weight and to continue to resist it will cause anger to rise up within you till in your own way, you cry, "Crucify!"
God's love is found in the truth of who He is. It is given freely and without condition. The only condition it has is that it requires us to receive it by learning more of the One who loves us and letting it impact our heart. If it hasn't changed you then you have not received it.
Will you receive it, letting it interrupt your pain with the truth of who He is? To receive it you must lay down the stone of blame toward whoever is behind your pain. As long as you hold onto your expectations of how you want something done or how it should be, you cannot receive anything else, including God's love. To open your hand is to give opportunity to the greatest and most radical grace of the love of God. (Let me insert here and acknowledge that to open your hand is an excruciating step and process to our human heart and mind's way of thinking. It's half the battle. But let me tell from experience, it's worth the risk to open up the hand and let go of all that is heavy to receive the freedom and love of God.)
Fear loses its grip as God's love grips your heart. You will then have a foundation, a source to give to others.
God shows you how to love by loving you.
His two commandments are first - to love Him with all of you - your heart, mind, soul, and strength. The second - to love others as you love yourself.
You cannot give what you do not have. You get by receiving and knowing God's love - the radical and foundational grace of all.
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