WHY ISN'T LOVE ENOUGH - 5

Saturday, December 31, 2016

     I'm not sure you if you've picked up on the fact that these 'life lessons' happen almost anywhere, anytime. Many times I'm not even consciously thinking about God or learning a lesson. In homeschooling I learned about 'teachable moments' - they are the times when your child wants to learn and is asking questions.  Well, I guess God knows about teachable moments.

     The holidays have brought Jared to mind numerous times. This past Thursday was one such time. I was driving in the car on my way home and thinking of how much I loved him when I said out loud, " I love Jared so much, why wasn't love enough?" Immediately, and as if He was sitting in the passenger seat, I heard God say, " You tell Me. Why isn't love enough?" There was an explosive moment of contradictory thoughts and emotions flying around - a humbling yet joyful moment that cuts through you and reveals the depths of your heart. I felt as if my breath had been knocked out of me. Here, I was wondering why my love for Jared wasn't enough for him to overcome his addiction when the King of the universe, the Creator, spoke of His love for me.

      The question I was left with - Why isn't God's love enough for me?  That question brought others - Why am I always looking for answers in other places? Why do I think I can do things on my own? Why don't I trust Him more? Why am I more concerned about pleasing people than being obedient to God? Why do I worry about money? I hope you have the point so I don't need to go on.
     Three things in the Bible I'd like to bring to your attention:

                           1. God is love  ( I John 4:8)

                           2. God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.   (John 3:16)

                           3. There's no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.  (John 4:18)

     God's given me unconditional love; He's saved me from my sins and made a way for me to spend eternity with Him (and Jared); and has provided a way for me to be rid of fear, stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, my humanness (flesh) gets in the way of what I know to be true. As a born again, Bible believing Christian the Love of God should be enough, but I allow life's circumstances and troubles to distract me from what I know to be true.

      Now is the time of year for resolutions on how we plan on changing for the better - healthy eating, exercising more, start and stick to a budget, be a better person, stop smoking/drinking,be a better employee/employer...the list goes on and on. What if we start 2017 by believing God - Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matt 6:33) WOW! It's all there - everything we need. It's so simple, yet so hard.
     My resolution for this year is for God's love to be enough - to seek Him first and foremost. How many would take this challenge with me for 2017 - THE LOVE OF GOD IS ENOUGH!!