Discovering a Love Beyond Compare

You hear it everywhere; you see it on television and in the movies; you read about it in books and magazines. Love. The world today is on a desperate search for it. However, so many people across the globe are left shattered, broken, and lonely because not only do they have a grave misunderstanding of the true meaning of love, they also search for it in all the wrong places.

Love, attention, and acceptance are things that we as humans cherish deeply; it’s how our Lord and Savior created us. We have a need and desire to have that special attention, to know someone loves and cares for us no matter what. These are not uncommon feelings, nor are they inherently ‘bad’. It is the misconception of where we will find this kind of love that leaves so many people in a state of confusion and frustration, and it creates baggage that is carried with us for life. Perfect love is not something we can find in another human being. Because of the fall, sin has entered the world and nothing and no one (save Christ) is perfect. However, perfect love has already been demonstrated to us. We have the opportunity to accept the perfect love of Someone who has truly given His all to us and for us. Ladies, do you want your knight in shining armor to come and rescue you? He has!! Do you want to feel that you are cherished deeply just the way you are? He does!! Do you want to know that someone is always thinking of you and will always be there for you? He will!! All we have to do is acknowledge and accept who He is and what He has done for us. Just let your mind dwell on that for a while and meditate on everything that our Savior willingly and joyfully sacrificed for us.

I have been reminded the past several weeks of just how much Jesus Christ has done and is continuing to do for me. Jesus didn’t ‘just’ come and die on the cross for our sins in order that we may receive salvation. Jesus Christ became a man; and is still a man today (in a glorified, risen body). He is God, and yet he took on flesh to become ‘one of us’. You want someone to understand whatever you’re going through? Jesus Christ understands because he went through it all!! He knows about pain, suffering, temptation, and He also knows about joy, happiness, and laughter. He not only died for us, He lived for us; and He continues to live for us.

Christ is, indeed, our all in all. But the beauty is that He knows and understands our human needs and desires for physical love, affection, and companionship, and He said “it is not good for man to be alone. I will make a help meet for him…and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” (Genesis 2:18 KJV) God created the sacred bond of marriage right from the start, and He created it not only to please ourselves, but to bring glory and honor to Him. The marriage union is a picture of the unity between Christ and His church. The love and commitment that is involved in the relationship between husband and wife is a picture of the love and commitment between Jesus Christ and those who have true faith in Him. What an awesome picture and testimony!

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the chruch, and gave himself for it" - Ephesians 5:25

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8

"Let love be without dissimulation [hypocricy]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good" - Romans 12:9

New Beginnings

How Great Is Our God. This happens to be the title of the song I am listening to at the moment, and also the title of this past week's sermon. It is something that is altogether too easy to forget, take for granted, or simply not take the time to meditate upon. But if we just take a moment out of each day, close our eyes, and reflect on all that He is, all that He has done, and all that He will do, then perhaps our faith, trust, and love for Him will be strengthened more and more. He is bigger, greater, and more wonderful than our finite imaginations can ever dream, and because of His love for us - the people that He created in His image to fellowship with Him - He has given us the opportunity to see what forever feels like. What an amazing thought! When does eternal life begin? It starts now. It starts when we accept the free gift that Christ gave us when He died on the cross for our many transgressions, then rose the third day to sit on the right hand of God. He paid the price for us; He paid our ransom. And all He asks of us is to accept it. We cannot in any way earn our salvation; going to church, dressing in a certain manner, 'doing good things', does not make us a Christian, nor does it gain you a passage into forever. When we accept Christ as our Savior, our lifstyle will reflect our love for Him and our desire to be obedient to His perfect will. In Christ alone, we will find true joy, fulfillment, and peace in our lives. This doesn't mean that life is going to always be easy; we hit roadblocks, we stumble, and we make mistakes. But we find true love, forgiveness, and strength in the Savior who will always be there for us. What comfort!!
Life is full of new beginnings. Birth, school, jobs, marriage, and on and on it goes. This past year, 2010, has been a year full of new beginnings for my life. My sister's marriage and move to Indianapolis, my amazing relationship with Luke, church responsibilities, changes at work,etc. With each wave in my humble life, I have been learning to go with the tide; when the boat rocks and rolls, instead of allowing it to dump me overboard, I shift with the movement, feeling the surge of each tide, but keeping my feet grounded on the floorboards. The tide will soon grow calm, and smooth sailing will come again for a time before the next wave. Instead of shrinking from life's transitions, we need to face them boldly, confidently, and joyfully, knowing that they are ultimately good and for our growth and development. And what is life without growth?