Into the Fire

No, I’m not talkin’ romance here—much as I might like to.

Christians know that God is love. Not “defines” love in the sense of giving meaning to a word. He IS love. It is eternal. It is Him. He defines Himself for us in as much as we are able to comprehend Him, which I’m sure is so finitely small compared to how infinitely big He is.

He gives us a description of perfect love in 1 Corinthians 13. And we all slump our shoulders in defeat upon reading the virtue of Love in its purest form. We are incapable of that kind of love because we are a sinful people. With His Blood transfusion at salvation, we can begin to “experience” real love from Him and do our best to allow the Holy Spirit to incorporate it into our relationships.

I don’t know about you, but out on the highway sometimes, I’m not “feelin’” a lot of love, folks. Some people should not drive moving vehicles. They just shouldn’t.

When my football team is losing, I’m not “feelin’” a lot of love for the other team, people. How dare those “idiots” play better than my guys?!

When I hear liberal politics, love is the last thing I’m “feelin’”, and that’s a fact.

Yeah, yeah, we hear the cutesy little phrases to remind us: “Love isn’t a feeling. It’s an action.” Tell me truthfully, how much love do you want to demonstrate after a solid disagreement, dare I say: argument, with a loved one?

Whenever we get off-track in the love department, we are in need of our Lord. His infusion of Himself into our hearts, into our consciousness, reminding us of who He is and who we can be in Him is what we need. Let’s be honest here—sometimes we want to pout, to stay angry, to rant, to kick the dirt and throw a base (a la Lou Pinella for you baseball fans). We don’t want to remember to be clothed in our Lord, to show mercy, to give forgiveness, or to say we’re sorry. We want to be justified in our anger, to be proven worthy of our wrath. Our human effort at love is nowhere to be found in those moments . . . or hours.

Why this subject? I guess because sometimes we think we’re so doggone good at it, assuming we really can be these tidy little loving Christians but only go so deep. It seems we’re either of that persuasion or of the kind who concedes we’re total failures, we can’t do ANYthing right, and we’re so sorry for every fault known to man . . . Isn’t there a place where we can admit our imperfections, steady ourselves with our determination to keep pressing on, going forward with Jesus, knowing the successes come after obedience even when we often miss the blessings because we misinterpret them according to a secular worldview? I mean, we have to know we’re not faultless, but that admitting it doesn’t justify our being sinful.

Finding Love comes only in knowing what it is. God IS Love. Nowhere else to find it. Nowhere else to learn it, to experience it, to feel it, to know it. “It” is Him. Through His Son Jesus Christ. That Love never fails.

Thank you, Father, for your Love, your forever Love, transcending time. Let your Love run through me. Help me to learn your Love and let it flow. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

*Don’t forget! Tomorrow’s “Saturday Sample . . .” features Dayle James Arceneaux. You won’t be disappointed.*