Thursday, September 29, 2005
On love
Does God love us unconditionally, just the way we are?
Removing the religious connotations, do we love people unconditionally for what they are, or do we expect other people to love us unconditionally for what we are?
Applies to everything; friends, family, lovers, all relationships.
How many times have we heard from our parents, that they really love us a lot, if only we could keep our rooms clean, help with the housework, be less troublesome, study hard, wash the dishes, mop the floor, iron the clothes? How many times have we heard from friends, that they really like us, if only we could be a little more tactful, helpful, generous, caring, kind?
And yet, how many times have we heard the timeless mantra of: "If you really love me, then love me for who I am and don't expect me to change for you."?
Oh God, if only you could love me without conditions! If so, free me from all my troubles and pain, and trials and persecution!
Sounds good.
Yet God does not do that. There is pain. There are troubles. Trials and persecutions are everywhere, pouncing on you unexpectedly as you turn the corner. Why is that? Shouldn't God be the perfect embodiment of love?
He is.
Because love is not without conditions.
Because we are sinners, so we cannot enjoy the perfect love that comes from God. Yes, he sent his Son to forgive us, but is forgiveness enough? We are still sinners, no matter how many countless times we have confessed and been forgiven. Because of this we cannot receive God's love. And yet, even so, God loved us so that he was willing to wait for us, to be justified in Christ with all his goodness in us, to be purified by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, so that we may be a clean vessel for his love. Perfect love cannot happen until and unless we are lovable by God! How do we become that? You guessed it: troubles, pain, trials and persecution. Is that sadistic? No, it is love. For the love of God is so great that he spends eternity waiting for us, helping us to become lovable and deserving of his perfect and wonderful love. Where does that journey end? In heaven.
So let us stop demanding that we be loved by others for just the way we are. Because, face it, just the way we are is not lovable. And so it will not be love if others should just love whatever we are. We should be accepting of others' flaws, and at the same time, encouraging and praying for positive changes to take place, so that those flaws may be transformed into strengths. In doing so, I am not saying that we withhold our love and expect 100% transformation before loving. In fact, it is our love that does the transforming. Ours and His.
In this, let us not be blinded by the flaws of others' such that we are masked from our own. This is why the union of man and woman is, in my opinion, the most appropriate representation of godly love, where 2 individuals love each other deeply, and use their love for each other to change for the better, for themselves as well as for each other.
"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:6-7
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Oh ya.
FELICIA ROCKS.
There, I said it! =D
And I mean it!
{/2:33 PM}
me
