What does it look like to love God? Not love out of duty or obligation or feeling like I should, but real love that encompasses every aspect of my being - I mean, really, what does that look like?
And even if I could grasp what that looks like, how do I actually live it out?
I mean, let's review a few things: God - the Creator of the universe, the Creator of trillions and trillions of galaxies, the Creator of elm trees that have 6 million leaves on them, the Creator of caterpillars that have 228 distinct muscles in their heads alone, the God who created plants that defy gravity by sucking water up from the ground into their stems and then absorb poisonous carbon dioxide and turn it into life-giving oxygen. The God who ordained that the person He loved best - His only Son, Jesus - would be brutally nailed to a cross while bearing not just the formidable weight of my own sins, but the sins of ALL humanity, and would then bleed His life away and die, DIE for me.
Thankfully, He didn't stay dead because God raised Him up and seated Him in a place of honor and glory, all so death and sin could be defeated and God could clothe my shame in Jesus' robe of righteous that He Himself earned. And then, unbelievably, the God of all this gets down on one knee and offers me His love, his CRAZY, makes-no-flippin-sense love and begs me to accept Him. Begs ME to accept His love. Tells me He wants to marry Himself to me, ME and give Himself to me. Have I mentioned that this is ME He's talking to???!!!
How do I respond? I mean, of course the obvious immediate answer would be to cry and cry and say YES to such a wildly extravagant, undeserved offer. But how do I really, genuinely, authentically respond to such a crazy, fabulous, mind-bending love?
And even if I could grasp what that looks like, how do I actually live it out?
I mean, let's review a few things: God - the Creator of the universe, the Creator of trillions and trillions of galaxies, the Creator of elm trees that have 6 million leaves on them, the Creator of caterpillars that have 228 distinct muscles in their heads alone, the God who created plants that defy gravity by sucking water up from the ground into their stems and then absorb poisonous carbon dioxide and turn it into life-giving oxygen. The God who ordained that the person He loved best - His only Son, Jesus - would be brutally nailed to a cross while bearing not just the formidable weight of my own sins, but the sins of ALL humanity, and would then bleed His life away and die, DIE for me.
Thankfully, He didn't stay dead because God raised Him up and seated Him in a place of honor and glory, all so death and sin could be defeated and God could clothe my shame in Jesus' robe of righteous that He Himself earned. And then, unbelievably, the God of all this gets down on one knee and offers me His love, his CRAZY, makes-no-flippin-sense love and begs me to accept Him. Begs ME to accept His love. Tells me He wants to marry Himself to me, ME and give Himself to me. Have I mentioned that this is ME He's talking to???!!!
How do I respond? I mean, of course the obvious immediate answer would be to cry and cry and say YES to such a wildly extravagant, undeserved offer. But how do I really, genuinely, authentically respond to such a crazy, fabulous, mind-bending love?
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