“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15:13 ESV)
He loves me, He loves me not…
I don’t think I ever played that daisy-game, where petals are plucked, and a mantra expressed. “She loves me, she loves me not…” It seemed a very random method for determining a very, very, very important fact.
But we play that game with Christ, I think.
Does He love me? It doesn’t ‘seem’ like it sometimes. When a storm hits. When tragedies are center stage. When our community becomes Godless. When our plans fail. When our plans fail to do what we wanted them to do.
We ask (even if only internally,) “how does THIS show that Jesus loves me?”
And that is the wrong question.
First, because we don’t know, yet, the end result of the bad thing we are experiencing. Today’s tragedy often becomes tomorrow’s joy. Think the disciples in the upper room. Or, think about the job you lost that led to a BETTER job. Or, remember that our sorrows lead to tighter God hugs.
Second, because He has told us He loves us. In neon-lit words in Scripture. In those many times we ARE able to see the ‘good.’ In the shouts of beauty and wonder of creation’s pictures and the music of the spheres.
And third, because He has shown us. He declared that love is best shown not by merely giving fun presents, or looking deeply into moon-struck eyes, or listening to lovey-dovey music, or sending thoughtful cards. But love, He says (and this is God talking, THE creator and therefor definer of ALL things) that love is shown by sacrifice. And then Jesus sacrificed everything.
He loves you.
I need to remember that when distracted by false petals.