January 13 Working Too Hard at Love

Genesis 29:34  Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, becasue I have borne him three sons."

This is about one woman longing to make her husband love her - to earn his love.  He relates this to our desire to somehow work hard enough to earn God's love.

Are we that much different - trying to earn God's love and doubting his? I wonder if it is that "sin which dwells in our flesh," as Paul calls it in Romans 7.

God loves me - we sing, "Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.  The Bible tells me so"...from the time we are little kids.  We memorize John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

But somehow, it is a very hard concept to actually believe.  Many students have told me they know those words, but they find it difficult to believe that God loves them as individuals.  How could that be - when God himself tells us he loves us?

Is part of it because of how conditional our own love is?  We love those who love us, who make us feel loved or good, who do good things to and for us?  And when they fail to make us feel good or loved or happy, we question whether we love them, or they really loved us.....and too many marriages or relationships fail at this point.  We don't feel loved or appreciated all the time, so the other person must be broken. Certainly it cannot be ourselves and our expectations.

Is part of it because we get hooked on our own sin, knowing how hard it is for us to forgive our failings that we cannot get our minds wrapped around the idea that God would forgive us?  We don't really believe the truth Paul records here: "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" Col. 2:13

So we get hung up on deserving God's love, and either figure we have to do a lot to deserve it - personal sacrifices, or believe that there is no way we can deserve it, so why try?

The reality is we have his love.  We don't deserve it and cannot earn it - like the infant child whom we just love....they can do nothing for us.  They require everything from us, and we just pour out our love to them.  That's a great picture of God and us, as an individual -  a babe completely dependent on him.

And all he wants is for us to love him back - not to deserve his love, but to respond to his love.  Response, that is what God desires, I think.  He longs that we see his great love for us, and we respond to it.  Again a line from an old hymn comes to mind: How can I do less than give him my best for all eternity....  He just wants me to look into his face with love....and my changed behavior will follow, not out of fear or obligation but simply because I love him back.