Love Too Hard to Understand
Love Too Hard to Understand
There was a game changer in my relationship with my nephew. He had been the typical almost teenager who knows everything and hard to reach. He would argue his points when you try to correct him. There came a day when he committed a big offense. He broke our drying machine for clothes while bouncing balls in the basement. He knew he was in big trouble and there is no explanation for this. His mother asked him to speak to me and apologize but he was reluctant; and I guess for not knowing how to start such a conversation.
A day passed, so I approached him. Instead of reading the riot act to him, I explained the offense and why playing ball in the basement would cause such damages and more. At the end, I put my arms around and hugged him. From that the day forward, our relationship changed. He understood at that time that I loved him and wanted the best for him. Prior to that he would do all he can to avoid me. Since that incident, he no longer avoided me. We talked freely and enjoyed his favorite sports together and talked about them and laughed together. I learned so much from him about the soccer rules during the world cup. I also learned that he is more important to me than any drying machine or property I may ever own.
There is a case or a need for love. Until we understand the need for love, we cannot comprehend what love is. Until we understand the magnitude of our sins against the Holy God, we cannot understand nor comprehend the love he has extended to mankind and to all of us. Paul would pray for the Ephesian Church for the power to understand God’s love as follows:
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The world does not understand God and his love because they have not understood the case for love. We must paint the picture for people why “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” to die for them and save them from a rightly due punishment. I have heard it said, do not remind people of their sins, they already know. I would say, yes and no. Yes they know but they don’t really know. I did not know why I had to be reconciled to God before His grace found me. I am sure it is the same case for you. God opened my eyes to the magnitude of my sins against Him; I then knew why I needed Jesus’ love and forgiveness.
Paul has already reminded the Ephesians of their former state. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” Ephesians 2:1-5. We were dead in transgressions and sins and were disobedient. We were a case for God’s love. Our poverty (decadence) necessitated God’s love.
Do you and I comprehend God’s love? We know God’s love but we really don’t know it all. It is because “God is love”. That is who He is and none of us can fully comprehend until we get to see Him face to face in heaven. Paul is now praying that God will grant us the power to understand and to be established in God’s love. His love is permanent and it is forever. He does not love us today and discard/abandon us tomorrow. His love is displayed on the Cross and He said “it is finished”. It is complete and we are complete in Christ and in His love.
I would not trade anything including the drying machine for the relationship I now have with my nephew. Sure it cost me something. So did it cost my heavenly Father His Son to win me over to himself. Like my nephew, I took the first initiative in the reconciliation and God has always taken the initiative in loving and reconciling us. It says, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. It was not after we had cleaned up our acts.
What are you struggling with today? God’s love has already dealt with and covers it. Love covers a multitude of sins and that is God’s love. May we be rooted, grounded and established in His love. By this prayer, Paul is saying, settle it once and forever that God loves you because the root goes deep and by it we are grounded, established and cannot be uprooted. No more doubting of God’s love if you have put you trust in Jesus and Christ dwells in you by faith.
Notice a phrase in Paul’s prayer that is very easy to miss. “I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named”. God’s love triumphs in a family atmosphere. God is the builder of families and He has built His family – the Church in love. We must build our family according to God’s pattern – in love. God has put you in specific family to experience God’s love, to be loved and to love each other. Please stop asking why you are in your family but see why you must love every member of your family. Let’s start with the husband and wife and be an example for the children. It is time to stop the cold wars. Even Russia and the USA have ended theirs; how less husbands and wives. Don’t worry, I am talking to myself. You don’t have issues I see.
The love of God is the love that gives up all right to justly punish but chooses to forgive instead. Can you and I forgo the right to justly punish others and instead love and extend mercy and grace? This is what God did for us and teaches us to do for others. Again Paul to the Thessalonians, “9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia’. 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-10. Who is on your list that rightly deserves your just punishment? Can you let them go and set yourself free?
What is “The width and length and depth and height” of God’s love. There is no measure available to measure God’s love. It is overwhelming when we get even a little glimpse of it. Lord, open my eyes to your endless love for me. Thank you for loving me even in my sins and forgiving all my sins by your grace. Lord, help me to genuinely love others starting with my wife and the rest of my family. Lord, grant me the power Paul prayed for to know your love and to love others. Amen.
Jesus is Lord & Savior !
There was a game changer in my relationship with my nephew. He had been the typical almost teenager who knows everything and hard to reach. He would argue his points when you try to correct him. There came a day when he committed a big offense. He broke our drying machine for clothes while bouncing balls in the basement. He knew he was in big trouble and there is no explanation for this. His mother asked him to speak to me and apologize but he was reluctant; and I guess for not knowing how to start such a conversation.
A day passed, so I approached him. Instead of reading the riot act to him, I explained the offense and why playing ball in the basement would cause such damages and more. At the end, I put my arms around and hugged him. From that the day forward, our relationship changed. He understood at that time that I loved him and wanted the best for him. Prior to that he would do all he can to avoid me. Since that incident, he no longer avoided me. We talked freely and enjoyed his favorite sports together and talked about them and laughed together. I learned so much from him about the soccer rules during the world cup. I also learned that he is more important to me than any drying machine or property I may ever own.
There is a case or a need for love. Until we understand the need for love, we cannot comprehend what love is. Until we understand the magnitude of our sins against the Holy God, we cannot understand nor comprehend the love he has extended to mankind and to all of us. Paul would pray for the Ephesian Church for the power to understand God’s love as follows:
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The world does not understand God and his love because they have not understood the case for love. We must paint the picture for people why “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” to die for them and save them from a rightly due punishment. I have heard it said, do not remind people of their sins, they already know. I would say, yes and no. Yes they know but they don’t really know. I did not know why I had to be reconciled to God before His grace found me. I am sure it is the same case for you. God opened my eyes to the magnitude of my sins against Him; I then knew why I needed Jesus’ love and forgiveness.
Paul has already reminded the Ephesians of their former state. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” Ephesians 2:1-5. We were dead in transgressions and sins and were disobedient. We were a case for God’s love. Our poverty (decadence) necessitated God’s love.
Do you and I comprehend God’s love? We know God’s love but we really don’t know it all. It is because “God is love”. That is who He is and none of us can fully comprehend until we get to see Him face to face in heaven. Paul is now praying that God will grant us the power to understand and to be established in God’s love. His love is permanent and it is forever. He does not love us today and discard/abandon us tomorrow. His love is displayed on the Cross and He said “it is finished”. It is complete and we are complete in Christ and in His love.
I would not trade anything including the drying machine for the relationship I now have with my nephew. Sure it cost me something. So did it cost my heavenly Father His Son to win me over to himself. Like my nephew, I took the first initiative in the reconciliation and God has always taken the initiative in loving and reconciling us. It says, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. It was not after we had cleaned up our acts.
What are you struggling with today? God’s love has already dealt with and covers it. Love covers a multitude of sins and that is God’s love. May we be rooted, grounded and established in His love. By this prayer, Paul is saying, settle it once and forever that God loves you because the root goes deep and by it we are grounded, established and cannot be uprooted. No more doubting of God’s love if you have put you trust in Jesus and Christ dwells in you by faith.
Notice a phrase in Paul’s prayer that is very easy to miss. “I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named”. God’s love triumphs in a family atmosphere. God is the builder of families and He has built His family – the Church in love. We must build our family according to God’s pattern – in love. God has put you in specific family to experience God’s love, to be loved and to love each other. Please stop asking why you are in your family but see why you must love every member of your family. Let’s start with the husband and wife and be an example for the children. It is time to stop the cold wars. Even Russia and the USA have ended theirs; how less husbands and wives. Don’t worry, I am talking to myself. You don’t have issues I see.
The love of God is the love that gives up all right to justly punish but chooses to forgive instead. Can you and I forgo the right to justly punish others and instead love and extend mercy and grace? This is what God did for us and teaches us to do for others. Again Paul to the Thessalonians, “9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia’. 1 Thessalonians 4: 9-10. Who is on your list that rightly deserves your just punishment? Can you let them go and set yourself free?
What is “The width and length and depth and height” of God’s love. There is no measure available to measure God’s love. It is overwhelming when we get even a little glimpse of it. Lord, open my eyes to your endless love for me. Thank you for loving me even in my sins and forgiving all my sins by your grace. Lord, help me to genuinely love others starting with my wife and the rest of my family. Lord, grant me the power Paul prayed for to know your love and to love others. Amen.
Jesus is Lord & Savior !
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