Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Response
Paradoxically, progressively knowing God’s love, seeing it deeper, higher, longer, broader, eventually brings us to the end of our capacity to respond in kind. We fall short. We find ourselves incapable of reciprocating according to His worthiness. However, in coming to the end of ourselves we also go back to God, receive forgiveness, receive His life and continue to receive His love. Then the process begins over and over and over again.
Eventually we, even in our failure to appropriately respond to this great love, begin to look a little bit more like the One we are seeing. Our heart longs, “Oh, I wish that I loved Him more…”
Then, all of a sudden, someone says, “I haven’t seen you in 7 years. You have really grown in your relationship with God. I can tell that you love Him so much more.”
And you’re saying to yourself, “If only you knew. If only you knew as to how much I do not love Him in the way of which He is worthy. If only you knew.”
They’ve observed growth. They’re seeing maturity.
What are you seeing? All you are seeing is the worthiness of the Lamb and the lack of capacity to return that love - His limitless love, your finite response.
Until heaven or the resurrection (when we are finally, utterly changed and transformed) our love may be rather limited and conflicted. Yet, the love of God continues to pursue us. As that love unfolds we become increasingly consecrated to Him - if we stay in a real relationship with Him… if we stay in the fire.
Some may appear like they have put their consecration and growth on hold.
I have seen the aftermath of God working on people over periods of years. I have seen spurts of growth and transformation in lives where I would just have to say, “Look at that person, they have become a worshipper.” And now they are worship leaders. Before, they were cold, uptight, and non-responsive. Their emotions couldn’t be reached. Then God hammered away at them five years, ten years and the change came. I’ve seen this type of thing happen with people.
I hope to see this happen more in my own life.
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Eventually we, even in our failure to appropriately respond to this great love, begin to look a little bit more like the One we are seeing. Our heart longs, “Oh, I wish that I loved Him more…”
Then, all of a sudden, someone says, “I haven’t seen you in 7 years. You have really grown in your relationship with God. I can tell that you love Him so much more.”
And you’re saying to yourself, “If only you knew. If only you knew as to how much I do not love Him in the way of which He is worthy. If only you knew.”
They’ve observed growth. They’re seeing maturity.
What are you seeing? All you are seeing is the worthiness of the Lamb and the lack of capacity to return that love - His limitless love, your finite response.
Until heaven or the resurrection (when we are finally, utterly changed and transformed) our love may be rather limited and conflicted. Yet, the love of God continues to pursue us. As that love unfolds we become increasingly consecrated to Him - if we stay in a real relationship with Him… if we stay in the fire.
Some may appear like they have put their consecration and growth on hold.
I have seen the aftermath of God working on people over periods of years. I have seen spurts of growth and transformation in lives where I would just have to say, “Look at that person, they have become a worshipper.” And now they are worship leaders. Before, they were cold, uptight, and non-responsive. Their emotions couldn’t be reached. Then God hammered away at them five years, ten years and the change came. I’ve seen this type of thing happen with people.
I hope to see this happen more in my own life.
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