Love/Loving One Another - Psalm 100
It was bound to happen the day the kids were born. They would grow up and move into adulthood and become their own persons. In time, they would fall in love and have families of their own. News flash: I thought I was prepared.
So, a couple of Saturdays ago, I got a text from my daughter's boyfriend. Can I come talk to you? I figured it out immediately because he never texts me, much less texts me to see if I want to "chat." Sure, I replied. So, he did what a young man is supposed to do. He came to the house and asked if he could ask for our daughter's hand in marriage. Yes, I replied, and then we talked about him coming by, my observations of him as a young man (a good kid in truth), and my hopes for him and our daughter. We then went back inside and talked to the family at the house who were in suspense as to why he was coming by, and then a week later, while I was on the road, he asked our daughter, who said, "Yes," and then sent us texts saying he has asked.
Love and the decision to marry based on what we believe is love at that time. As I think back on our own proposal over 30 years ago, and as I listen to people who enter into relationships speaking of love, I hear people who rationalize to varying degrees the relationship. "We liked the same kind of things." "We met at church and knew our faith was important and that we had the same goals for our lives." "We talked and we realized we had the same aspirations and that kids would wait while we explored our lives." Love, however, isn't rational. Love can make little sense. Love is walking through a brick wall to be with someone. Love keeps you awake at night counting the minutes until you see that person again. Love is doing something completely irrational just to be in the presence of that person (for me in college it was showing up at the library to study - "Hey, fancy seeing you here," people would say). As love grows more deeply, it still is an emotion, but you move from that love of youth to a mature love that still bears no explanation or rationalization. And with children, you really begin to understand that phrase that "you'd lay down your life for them." Because, in short, you would.
David speaks of our God with a constant phrase, "For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 100:5) LORD, in all capitals, is the God of the covenant. That covenant is one He made to deliver a chosen people, which is why His love is "steadfast." It bears no explanation as to why he would do what He does for us. He is faithful when we are faithless. "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:12 and 13)
This sacrificial love is the love of the God of the Covenant, and this love is the love His Son speaks of - "no greater love has no one than this." In truth, this sacrificial love makes no sense, but we know it is the degree and depth of love that God and Christ show for us. Our prayer for each other and our loved ones - those who have matured in love and those just now beginning, is that they have this love for one another. Our prayer is that the feeling of love not be what binds us together as husbands and wives or brothers in the faith, but the love that binds us together is that unconditional, sacrificial love.
Hope Men's Ministry
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