IN HIS GRIP: LOVE LIKE THIS

My mom was from a broken home. It was a story we often heard about growing up – a father leaving behind his wife and eight children to be with someone else. This event altered my mom’s view about relationships. This became evident when she finally had her own family.

My dad’s job required him to travel a lot around the country. And being a somewhat observant child, I would sometimes catch my mom digging through dad’s things.  I never commented on this. But now, sharing our life experiences as adults, she confirmed that it was like a manifestation of her fears and insecurities. She was like trying to find clues if dad might be cheating on her. She had no peace of mind. She was afraid to trust. She was afraid that what happened to them back then would happen again.

But maturing as a Christian, she shared with me a very important thing that God has taught her: Love the Lord with ALL your heart.

Now why would God command us to do this?

I’ve listened to what people call the “breakup” songs like “I’m All out of Love” and “Too Much Love Can Kill You.” I’ve heard about people who have lost their minds or have committed (or attempted) suicide because of failure in relationships. I’ve met people who jumped from one relationship to another. I’ve known people whose hearts have hardened because of the pain of rejection and heartbreak. These things seem to be very far from what the Bible tells us about love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us the description of love – “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endured through every circumstance.” But why do we get tear-jerking experiences about love instead?

I remember being in a restless state when I was a teenager. I was aware of a void inside my heart. I had a loving family. I got great friends. I had my collection of classic novels, albums of my favorite bands, recycled paper and charcoal pencils, and my collection of anime stuff that made me happy. But they never really satisfied. Why did I still feel alone? Why did I still feel empty?

It was in college when God opened a chance for me to know Him personally – drawing me closer to Him, showing me His beauty. I had many friends but most of the time I kept to myself and I had a lot of time in my hands to begin contemplating His Word, appreciate His creation, and experience His love.

There were Saturdays when I would get up early in the morning to read my Bible. I would sit on the grass at the park feeling the damp coldness of the morning breeze blending with the warmth of the morning sun. I would smell the freshness of nature, and hear the chirping of the birds, and the crisp sound of wind-blown leaves. There would be Friday nights when I would go outside and lie on the grass and be awed at the vastness of the evening sky decorated by thousands of stars. It was breathtaking!

This was God revealing Himself and surrounding me with His love. This was my majestic Creator showing me that even though I am simply a microscopic part of the enormous universe that He created, His love for me is immense. It’s overwhelming to think how the God who made all things takes time to know me, teach me, guide me, comfort me, discipline me, and mold me. What I felt was so intense that I could imagine how King David felt when he wrote his psalms. I couldn’t think of anything to say except, “I want to fall in love with You.”

However, loving God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and will all my strength (Mark 12:30) is a learning process. I’ve received my share of scars and bruises in learning this.  I’ve learned that all of us are searching for something that would fill the void in our hearts. We try to satisfy ourselves with what our families, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends, or material things can offer, but none of these satisfy. Because the love they offer is temporary and flawed. It is because it’s a hole that only God can fill.

Every day I learn that only the love of God will complete me. Every day I learn that only God can satisfy. No one can love me the way He does. In His love, I will never be disappointed.

Learning to love God with all my heart teaches me how to love everyone else the right way. It’s inevitable. When you love God, you can’t help loving everything He made. It shows me that love is indeed patient and kind and everything else that 1 Corinthians 13 describes; and not painful and traumatic as the world wants us to think.

Now I understand how my mom can just pray, sit back and relax even amid turmoil. It’s because she has learned to love God above everyone and anything else. She has learned to trust on that love, gaining peace of mind that God will always be in control.


God’s love is everlasting. God’s love is perfect. There’s no love like this.

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