Pink-er Love

This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak on love at a women's conference. I followed two awesome ladies speaking on faith and hope. That was the theme:Faith, Hope and Love. 

Now, I was wishing it was something like: Faith, Hope and Justification. Or Faith, Hope and The Reasons Why We Tithe. 

I didn't want to speak on the love. I'm more of a black-and-white thinker. Love is so...pink. It’s too sappy.  Too women's-conference-y. 

But, of course, this is exactly the thing I needed to teach on because it is exactly the thing I need to learn. God has been working in me. Loving me. And I hope this talk is an expression of all of that. It's certainly not exhaustive and probably not all that well-written (my outline, to my talk, to my blog...yikes), but thinking through has sparked a pinker (!?), more genuine love in me for Jesus and others. 

Our Love for Christ

⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

How do you respond to this statement? If you are a non-believer, well, you don’t love Jesus.That's pretty simple. You don't and you can't until He changes your heart. 

If you are a believer and He has changed your heart you may respond like:

1.       I do? Really?

You are not sure. You doubt. You might be hurt or feel like you have nothing to give. Scripture’s saying this about you and you’re like, “What? Really?”

Here's God's response: God patiently waits for you and works in you, in your doubt and hurt and hesitancy. Do you see hope? You see Him “not now” but later! This is sure faith and a love based on that hope! This is more than arranged marriage, growing to love someone. This is supernatural love in you, by the Spirit.

2.       I do! Hasn’t He noticed?

You are proud. You are entitled. You are falsely humble and deceived.

I’ve been there too. You may be there now too, like the elder brother (Luke 15). You say and think “I love God and work for Him and this is the thanks I get?” or “Where’s my best life now?” or it’s an indifferent “huh…yep.. got this.”

We have to see that this is His work. Even love is something we can’t muster up. “Joy filled with glory”…only God can do that.

3.    I do.

You don’t exactly know why or how, but you love Him. It’s like a new realization each time. There's a scene in “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days” when the girl realizes she loves the guy. Ok, this is just about every rom-com, but either way, it's a "Yeah, I do..." taking the person by surprise. 

This is a mystery based on a solid promise to rest in, to hope in, to humble ourselves in. It’s a mystery even angels long to look into.

God’s love for us

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:4-13)

This is perfect love. Only God has this. God is love. Some of us will react like we talked about earlier: scared, fearful, doubtful anyone (esp God) can love you. OR you know it, you expect it. You feel lovable. This love doesn’t blow you away. It’s OLD news.

By grace, we need to see God’s love for us anew. Be gripped by it. Come into the light of it. And to not just jot take-aways or resolve to love better….until and while we are startled by this. Blown away and held by it.

God is patient: not foot-tapping. Not just tolerating you and all your quirks and flaws and failures. He doesn't sigh and roll His eyes. He disciplines in loves, continues to give good things and call you back to Him.

Kind: God gives you what is best for you, whether you think so or not. Have you ever thought about if He wasn't kind? What if God is all-powerful (can do anything), all-knowing (knows everything about what you need and every inner dark thought) but not loving? You'd be squished! God would be in control of your life and know all your dark secrets but have no loving kindness toward you! That is not a God I want, nor is it the God of the Bible.  

Bears all things: On the cross Jesus bore your sin IN His body. Every offense, unloving, middle finger, passive indifference. It is paid for on the cross. This is love that He who knew no sin became sin for us...Jesus didn't deserve death but died in our place. 

Believes all things/hopes/endures: This is based on the sure work of Christ at that cross. This isn’t like your mom really "believing in you" (which is great and all) or some inspirational quote. This is beauty in our brokenness. Rugged reality. God loves you without end. His love never fails. His love will bring you to Heaven and eternal joy. 

If you can’t believe God love you, He believes for you. Still loves you. He doesn’t need you, but He wants you.

Our love for each other

Let’s not leave the good news of the gospel, the blow-you-away power of God's love and work He is doing in your hearts to love Him; but let's build on it, with it, through it. How can we love one another as women in community?

Can we be patient with each other? As we fail, have annoying quirks, are immature, are slow to change? Not just tolerate each other. Can we communicate hope (again and again!)? Can we patiently actively love by showing our openness, our own failures, being transparent but also speak truth, speak Jesus?

Can we be kind? Can we interrupt the status quo of back biting or claiming sides or bitterness or defending ourselves? Can you genuinely love the girl who’s dating and you are not? Can you encourage the mom whose kids annoy you? Can you build up the one who gossips about you? Not just gloss over it. No silent treatment for manipulation. Can we be generous with our time, our gifts, our money and credit?

Can we applaud and thank God for others using their gifts? Not envy the woman who gets to be up front? Who everyone seems to want to hang out with? Who doesn’t seem to struggle with all the crap you are dealing with? Can we not envy another’s season of life…married, kids, older kids, a husband like that, more money, etc?

Can we boast about others rather than ourselves? Talk about what God has done and is doing rather than what we are?

Can we serve humbly? Without credit or applause. Can we do nursery and children's church? Sing 3^rd part harmony? Host people for dinner?

Can we seek wisdom, pray and discern God’s calling…asking in true humility, rather than insisting on our own way? Even when it makes no sense to us, can we submit to God’s authority in our lives? (elders, fathers, husbands, bosses) And can we encourage women to do so, to not tear down men in general and foster respect for men specifically?

Can we forgive those who hurt us? Can we stop assuming everyone is out to get us? Let things slide off our backs (onto Christ).

The answer to all these questions is no. No we can't unless God works in us and through us. He is at work in His people. He lovingly works in our hearts to love Him and others because it's the best thing for us. It's what we were made for.  We can't do this, but God can and He will. Let us pray we are instruments in His hands.