Friday, March 6, 2015

Radiant thoughts about the Love of God

 
     God’s love is more constant and sure than the rising of the sun in the east and the setting of the sun in the west.  God’s love is more sure than the laws of gravity.  We do not worry or wonder if the sun is going to rise tomorrow or if the laws of gravity will still be in effect.  We don’t lie awake at night contemplating, “I wonder if I will still be able to walk on the ground in the morning.  When I wake up, will I float away into the sky?”  We fret unnecessarily when we believe that God’s love toward us might change depending upon how poorly or how well we might be performing at a given moment in time. 
         God already knows all our successes, failures, and sins past, present, and future.  Yet, he still loves us right now.  His love is timeless, firmly rooted in who HE is.  It is God’s nature to love.  Since God is love, he can’t help but love.  He has to love, he is driven to love, compelled by love.  He couldn’t help but love, even if He wanted to behave differently (which he couldn’t)!  There is nothing in God’s nature contrary to love or that diminishes love in any way.  Everything in God’s actions, will, and nature revolves around an internal sun called Love.  Even when his actions or lack of action are perceived by humans to be unloving, His love remains.  God’s love is unchanged by our faulty perceptions of Him.  Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, God has never thought an unloving thought, had an unloving intention, or acted in an unloving way. 
     Closely tied to and inseparable from God’s Love is His goodness.  God is entirely and completely good.  Think of the worst possible evil action, or the most vile, despicable person or creature.  God is the exact opposite.  There is nothing evil or bad in God’s nature, He is completely and thoroughly good.
Evil                                                                         Good (God’s nature)
Tyrannical, controlling, oppressive            Freeing, uncontrolling
Power Hungry                                                Power releasing, decentralizing
Greedy                                                             Giving
Self-centered, self-preserving                     Sacrificial to the point of death
Unforgiving, bitter                                         Forgiving, understanding
Unclean, impure                                            Holy, spotless, unblemished, perfect
Hard, rigid                                                       Full of grace and mercy
Uncaring                                                          Compassionate, caring, desires to relieve pain
Unfeeling                                                         Emotional, Identifies with and feels our pain
Unkind, Harsh                                                 Gentle, kind
Unpredictable, capricious                             Unchanging, steady, keeps promises
Unjust, allows evil to continue                     Just, punishes evil rightly and perfectly