What is it that we all want? Significance, yes. Worth, yes. Approval, yes. All of that and more. I think, though, that if we could sum up the varieties of expressions of human desire we would say "real love." I think the cry of every human heart is to be known totally, inside and out, and loved totally anyway. Everything we've done, everything we've said, everything we've thought, everything we are -- everything. And in response: belovedness.
So we test out this cry, to see if it will be answered in some way, in every relationship. We try it with our parents, our children, our spouses, our friends, our church. It frequently, if not always, goes haywire. Sin gets in the way, fear gets in the way, defensiveness gets in the way, stupidity gets in the way, finite capabilities get in the way.
We are not equipped to love each other perfectly, not yet anyway. We are not omnipotent. And we are not love. And we are not omniscient, so we can't know each other perfectly, inside and out, past present future.
But God is and can do all that. And the good news is that God knows every single stinking thing about us . . . and loves us totally, unabashedly, powerfully, savingly. I find this staggering.
3 comments:
Jared... Thanks for this and for your diligence and commitment to this blog. I've been following for about a year and always find such amazing, gospel-infused encouragement in your writing. Great stuff my brother!
I agree with you completely. I believe that what we all really strive for it to be loved—and to love someone else totally. And with God, we're able to be loved for everything that we are. Thank you for taking the time to write this post, which reminded me of perhaps the most important thing of all: I'm not alone. I have God on my side.
Indeed. And amen.
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