Perfect Love

 

Loving this song lately... a man coming out of depression and really enjoying a good relationship, and at the same time feeling terrified that God will take it away.  Relatable for anyone who knows deep loss...

"And I thank God every day for the girl He sent my way,

But I know the things He gives me, He can take away...

There's no man as terrified as the man who stands to lose you."

(All of my posts today go together.  I just figured breaking it up would be preferable to writing the world's longest blog post.)  As I listened to this song and as I watched Nobody Wants This, I found myself thinking about God's love versus human love, and how often we make the wrong choice and prioritize the wrong thing, begging for people who don't love us to stay while ignoring/minimizing the value of God's faithful love and presence.  How we often see romantic love as a grand prize and view God as the means to an end rather than our First Love or our heart's real home and refuge.  It's tragic when you step back and see it clearly.

True safety and security and belonging are rooted in Christ.  We belong to Him and with Him, and we are safe in His protective strength.  We cannot ever lose Him, and nothing can separate us from His love.  That is not a small thing.  It's honestly the deepest desire of our heart - to be fully seen and fully known and fully loved - we struggle to grasp the reality of it with God, but I want to seek deeper understanding there.  We will never get that level of love and depth of connection in a perfect way from another flawed human being - "the world offers only a craving..."  We have to stop putting people on pedestals they can't live up to, and we have to stop viewing God as manipulative or careless in how He treats our hearts.  He LOVES us personally, and when He takes someone or something away, He does it on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose.  It is not cruel or random or meaningless.  All things work together for our good and His glory when we love Him and are called.  Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.  But He understands our pain and heals our hearts, and He wants us to have and enjoy beautiful things.  He plans to give us a future and a hope as we surrender to His will and timing.  I've been struggling to trust Him and see this clearly lately, so I'm reminding myself right now to hold on to what I already know to be true.  He is good and faithful and with me and for me, and His ways are higher than mine.

When we love Him more than any other person or thing, that is the perfect love that casts out fear.  We cannot lose Jesus; we CAN lose everyone and everything else we love here on earth.  Thinking about relational loss always feels scary, but let's root our wandering thoughts in what we know to be true about God's goodness and love for us, and His deep love for the people we care about.  Perfect love (resting our hearts in the love and goodness and power of God) drives out fear.  That makes so much sense to me in this context.  Our hope and strength and security are in Jesus, and nothing will separate us from His love.  He knows what is best for us in every season (even the harsh winters and the pruning seasons).  We are being refined, not brutally punished - the heart behind it is love, not anger or disappointment or indifference.  Perfect love drives out fear - we can trust Him.  God wants us in good, healthy relationships, but we need to remember that He alone is worthy of our heart's greatest love and deepest trust. ❤

Okay then.  Thanks for being here.  That's really all for today, friends and fam!