pain of love
Read 1.Peter 2:18-25... I just recently did a paper on verse 24-25, and got a lot out of it; saw more of God's role as shepherd and how Jesus' death is proof of His love - a love which gives without getting a return... And how Jesus' death is an example to us, to submit to suffering in the same way. And that His death also empowers us to do so... Anyway, all that's fine and good and mindblowing and everything, but just have to share what I read in a book captivated (for and about being a woman).
"Women who are stunningly beautiful are women who have had their hearts enlarged by suffering. By saying "yes" when the world says "no". (...) By paying the high price of loving truly and honestly without demanding that they be loved in return. (...) Jesus offered like no other. And many rejected Him. In those moments or seasons when that happens to us, God's invitation is to bring our sorrows to Him. Not to shut down with "I'll never try that again", but to keep our hearts open and alive, and find refuge and healing in His love."
What's been on my heart and mind quite a lot lately is the pain of love...
Firstly, God's love for me, for us, for the world... That God almighty, creator of a universe which is so vast our brains will never be able to grasp it's eternity (and yet He's put eternity in our hearts; we just know that behind the end of as far as we can think, there must be more..) and which is held together by atoms so small we can't see them, which again are built up of smaller particals I don't know the name of, which again must be built up of something smaller - and it goes on; eternity of detail... The creator of all this, wants a relationship with us... It's amazing. It's too amazing for me to grasp. And to think He wants relationship so much that He chooses to love us. To love us rebellious, selfish, irritatingly stupid humans who just do the same mistakes over and over and who constantly choose to live in ways that are not of love, effectively hating God and who He is...
He loves us still. Even when we give our hearts to Him, as in marriage, and then we are unfaithful. Turn away, cheat on Him, despise Him in our actions or words or thoughts... But He chooses to wait it out, to continue to love, to take the pain of loving us...
He chooses to be broken hearted for us. I had this picture when reflecting on the trinity - Father, Son, Holy Spirit are one, they are perfect unity. The pain God must have felt; Father and Son separated in the curse of the cross when Jesus took all our sin on Himself. That moment of disunity; that moment when the devil probably thought He'd pierced God's heart to death. (He did, in a sense. But, somehow, by the power of God's Holy Spirit, Jesus conquered that death curse. And we are "raised in Him" - He took our sin; we receive His righteousness. Not a fair trade. To think that He loves us so much.) That cosmic heart-ache - God is eternal, I can immagine the ache of that moment must echo throughout eternity and be intensified with every heart beat of His never ending love for us...
This is the love God wants us to abide in and to be so soaked in that we love the world in the same way. We are called, as sons and daughters, to grow and become like Him, the loving Father who always waits, painfully, vulnerably, for His children to come to Him. We are called to suffer for others as He suffered for us - I'm called to the pain of love. And when we are wounded by this pain of loving others, we find healing in His love for us.
"Women who are stunningly beautiful are women who have had their hearts enlarged by suffering. By saying "yes" when the world says "no". (...) By paying the high price of loving truly and honestly without demanding that they be loved in return. (...) Jesus offered like no other. And many rejected Him. In those moments or seasons when that happens to us, God's invitation is to bring our sorrows to Him. Not to shut down with "I'll never try that again", but to keep our hearts open and alive, and find refuge and healing in His love."
What's been on my heart and mind quite a lot lately is the pain of love...
Firstly, God's love for me, for us, for the world... That God almighty, creator of a universe which is so vast our brains will never be able to grasp it's eternity (and yet He's put eternity in our hearts; we just know that behind the end of as far as we can think, there must be more..) and which is held together by atoms so small we can't see them, which again are built up of smaller particals I don't know the name of, which again must be built up of something smaller - and it goes on; eternity of detail... The creator of all this, wants a relationship with us... It's amazing. It's too amazing for me to grasp. And to think He wants relationship so much that He chooses to love us. To love us rebellious, selfish, irritatingly stupid humans who just do the same mistakes over and over and who constantly choose to live in ways that are not of love, effectively hating God and who He is...
He loves us still. Even when we give our hearts to Him, as in marriage, and then we are unfaithful. Turn away, cheat on Him, despise Him in our actions or words or thoughts... But He chooses to wait it out, to continue to love, to take the pain of loving us...
He chooses to be broken hearted for us. I had this picture when reflecting on the trinity - Father, Son, Holy Spirit are one, they are perfect unity. The pain God must have felt; Father and Son separated in the curse of the cross when Jesus took all our sin on Himself. That moment of disunity; that moment when the devil probably thought He'd pierced God's heart to death. (He did, in a sense. But, somehow, by the power of God's Holy Spirit, Jesus conquered that death curse. And we are "raised in Him" - He took our sin; we receive His righteousness. Not a fair trade. To think that He loves us so much.) That cosmic heart-ache - God is eternal, I can immagine the ache of that moment must echo throughout eternity and be intensified with every heart beat of His never ending love for us...
This is the love God wants us to abide in and to be so soaked in that we love the world in the same way. We are called, as sons and daughters, to grow and become like Him, the loving Father who always waits, painfully, vulnerably, for His children to come to Him. We are called to suffer for others as He suffered for us - I'm called to the pain of love. And when we are wounded by this pain of loving others, we find healing in His love for us.
By His wounds we are healed - Isaiah 53 v.5
posted by Ellen Miles at 3:41 PM
2 Comments:
I am so touched and moved by this incredible revelation you are passing on Ellen. I think I saw the whole thing even clearer from your in depth writing.
I miss you...
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