What Kind of Love

"We love because he first loved us."

1 John 4:19

Imagine for a moment a mother nurturing her child.  She poured everything into her daughter's life, forgoing sleep in order to feed and change her throughout the night, giving up a lucrative career so that she could be there for her little one, caring for the developing babe in ways she never thought possible.  Every need was met, each tear wiped away, whenever heartache came there was comfort.  This mother gave all she had for this child.  

One day, after ten years of selfless giving, the little girl endured a bizarre incident where she developed amnesia.  Suddenly, the child didn't know her own mommy.  The one who used to be the center of her universe all at once became like a stranger.  Instead of running to her mama in search of solace, she turned away in fear.  This mother could hardly bear the pain such rejection wrought.

Now redirect your thoughts to that of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He knows each of His own intimately, taking an active part in the formation of each human life.  Every Image bearer came into being through Him.  Without Him, there would be no life at all.  He is the ultimate Life Giver.

Still, when He came down into the world His Father painstakingly created through Him, not one of His masterpieces even recognized Him as the One who gave them life.  Not only that, He was rejected by His own, much like the daughter with amnesia denied her own mother.  It was as if all that He had done for mankind mattered not.  What pain must have pierced His heart.

Despite the anticipation of such treatment, such rejection, Jesus chose to come down off His throne and lower Himself to the position of a mere man. (Philippians 2:5-8) Knowing full well that He would be snubbed by the very ones He came to save, He still made the decision to endure such treatment.

What would drive Him to such a point?  What would compel Jesus to endure such torture?  Why would He choose to go through such pain?  Love. (Romans 5:8, John 15:13) 

The perfect love of God compelled Christ to humble Himself even though He deserved only adoration and praise.  This unspeakable love propelled Christ to the cross where He sacrificed not only His life, but for a time, even the bond He shared with His Father.  As the sin of all mankind drained the life from Christ's ravaged body, His Holy Father turned away.  The pain of suffering so deeply without the comfort of the Father of all compassion must have been excruciating.

This is the love that flows through my veins.  As a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, I am saved by this love, offered abundant, eternal life through this love, and welcomed into a family because of this love. (John 3:16-17, 1 John 3:1)   Even though my sin earned me death, I was graciously and mercifully offered life due to such amazing love. (Romans 6:23)  

How then can I turn away from the lost who need such love so desperately?  Why do I find it so easy to withhold such love from those who don't deserve it?  If I was given such a gift despite my own unworthiness, why am I so stingy with His love?

What kind of love would compel Jesus Christ to make the unthinkable sacrifice?  God's perfect love.  May this love propel me forward into a dark world where I will freely allow His light to shine, drawing people to His perfect love where they too will find relief from all that binds them.  (Matthew 5:16, Luke 4:18)  May His love move me to step beyond my comfort barriers where the real need lies.  May His love push me to look beyond myself to see the suffering all around me.  

What kind of love would drive the Son of God to endure rejection by His own, great human suffering, and separation from His Father?  The perfect love of God.  What can this love propel me to do today?

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will stop hampering the flow of God's love through me and out to a hurting world.

When do I let fear stop this flow of love?

How do I judge others as unworthy of such unconditional love?