It seems appropo that, with my thoughts running around the importance of relationships, that the topic at my church this weekend is on seeing others with the same eyes as Jesus did. And he was all about relationships. I've shared a number of times with people, (some extemely close to me), that true love is not an emotion, rather it is a choice. I'm not sure that all have agreed with that but I truly believe it. Tonight I heard a really cool definition of Jesus' love, of true love. Jesus loved in 3-D. And the three "D"s were, first, "Decision". He chose to love. We need to choose to love to experience the real thing. It's not a feeling, it's a choice. The second "D" is "Demonstration". Jesus acted on his love. It was compassion from deep within him. It was active. The last "D" is "Difference". True love makes a difference in those lives we choose to love. We impact.
It was enlightening, as I sat and listened tonight, because I have someone who is very special to me. Early on in our relationship I knew how special she was and would continue to be and I shared with her my feelings about love being a choice. Early on she pooh-poohed me and said I didn't know her well enough to love her. As time went on she continued to be uneasy with the idea, the concept that I could love her, but that didn't change my feelings. Now, after a year, she's heard the words, and seen the actions, the physical acts that could only be explained as acts of love, and it is increasingly more difficult for her to deny my love. And on a few occassions she's even declared her love for me. But it still makes her uncomfortable.
I was struck, as I pondered this yet again, at how closely my relationship with her seems to parallel so often our relationship with God. How often do we wonder how God could ever love a sinner like us, and how often do we pull away because of our own insecurities, our own doubts about our worthiness? How many times do we rob ourselves of His love because we stubbornly cling to our own ideas that love must be earned? And all the while he is there, just waiting for us to come around, just loving us with his perfect love, not dependent at all on our decision to recognize or accept it. It is real, it is true, and it is there, and no doubts or rejections on our part will change his desire to love us.
Now I don't claim to love perfectly, as Jesus does, but in my own imperfect way I know my love does not waver, it is not conditional on acceptance, and it does not change if it's not relected back. My love is a choice; it is active, it is demonstrative, it makes a difference in the loved one's life. So, on a personal note, Sweetheart, I love you, whether you choose to believe it or not, whether you choose to accept it or not. You know, because you have seen, because you do see, my love is active for you. I love you in 3-D.
No comments:
Post a Comment