He loved us first

"I couldn't walk. I couldn't love. And I couldn't sing/And still you found me." 

                                                                                     Bethany Dillon, 'Get up and Walk' (2009)

It's easy to be idealistic about love. In fact, it's easy to be enthusiastic about love. Somehow, I find it easy to read things in the Bible about love and think,"Right, great, so I need to love more....Go go go, let's love more....1 Corinthians 13 style." Operation 'Let's love people', is great at the beginning. 

Once I remember being in some kind of Bible study where they made us put our names in the place of 'Love' in that passage: i.e,  'Catherine is patient, Catherine is kind.... ' that's a pretty brutal diagnostic test. In a depressing way. I mean, I know I'm not patient. I am not kind, and this is often because I expend a lot of energy envying and boasting. In subtle ways, maybe, but still.

But there is good news. The good news is that I am not supposed to be out there defining love. That has already been done. And I can love, because he loved me first. Only because he loved me first.

Look what happens when you insert "Jesus" into I Corinthians 13:

"As the author of language and as God's Living Word, Jesus can speak in the tongues of men and angels, and yet he condescends to speak simple words that nourish, soothe and delight our souls. He knows the past and the future, understands all mysteries and knowledge; has all faith and reigns as Ruler over all; and yet, his love caused him to humble himself and remove our mountain of sin. Because of his love, we who are nothing have become "beloved". He gave away what was rightfully his, humbled himself, and delivered up his body to be burned in the scorching furnace of the wrath of his Father. 

Jesus is patient and kind: he doesn't envy or boast. When faced with Satan's temptation to prove his Godhood in the wilderness and on the cross, he never showed off his power. He was utterly humble. He wasn't arrogant or rude, railing on the disciples, deserting them because of their selfish ambition. He isn't arrogant or rude with us either. When standing before his accusers he didn't insist that they treat him with respect, nor did he proudly demand their accolades. He was silent, like a lamb before her shearers. The humble King of heaven wore a crown of thorns and a purple cloak. He is never irritable or resentful, picking away at every little foible he sees. In love, his blood covers our multitudinous sins. 

He doesn't gleefully rejoice when you sin, glad to finally have an opportunity to give you your comeuppance. He rejoices when you believe the truth - not only the truth about you - that you are sinful and flawed - but also the truth about him - that he loves and welcomes you. Out of love for you, he bears all things. He has unflinching faith and hope in your transformation because he knows the power of his love. He knows that one day he will bring you to be with himself. He has endured and continues to endure all things out of love for you. His love never ends. Never.

Ten zillion years from now, when he has had time to really see what sort of person you are, his love won't have worn out. In fact, he knows you through and through right now, and loves you all the same. Your shameful secrets cannot shock or repel him. His love never ends. One day we will see him face-to-face and then we will fully understand, for the first time, what real love looks like." 

                                                                           -Elyse Fitzpatrick, Counsel from the Cross (2009)

'I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul.' Psalm 31