The Loving God Part
So after writing my last blog: Eternity Starts Now, which was about our eternal mission of loving God and loving people starting here on earth, I mainly concentrate on why we must love people. I wondered if maybe the loving God part may not come easy for some. And while loving people is challenging, I realize that loving God may not come easy either.
I would love to help those who struggle with this part. Life has a great way of beating us down and leaving us wondering where God was. We have all been there. We all overcome those letdowns differently. But for those who are still on the side of hurt or abandoned, I want to encourage you that there is hope for inner healing and invite you to let God in.
There could be so many things that have hindered your trust in God and the effect it has made you doubt or altogether distrust the sovereignty of God. It’s hard to build trust after we are let down and disillusioned. We build walls to protect ourselves from the possibility of being hurt again. Bringing the walls down isn’t easy. I recently heard someone say, it may be that you have built a wall around God. You have been able to move on and live life, but God is behind this wall. Maybe it’s a half wall; perhaps it’s a whole box. Somehow we have convenience ourselves that God can’t be trusted.
Nobody escapes having to look past hurt and pain to see Jesus. It’s a part of life, and that’s why God sent his Son. We must first believe God sent his only Son to save us. Save us for eternal life, and give us hope while here on earth. We have a Savior and someone who relates to our pain and suffering. Jesus lived on earth and experienced suffering too, and when Jesus left earth, He gave us the Holy Spirit. To guide us as we navigate life on earth, to help us deal with the things of the world.
Although sometimes it feels like we are somehow left abandoned, I love the hope and promise we read in John 3:16-18:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
It all starts with believing. How could we love or trust someone we don’t believe in? Believing lets in the light- the truth of God. It takes our thoughts and feelings from dark unhealthy places to the light and truth. And in the light, we have hope. Hebrews 6:19a says: We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
God knows and hears our cries, hurts, pain, and worries. While it may sometimes seem like He doesn’t, the truth is that He gives us the strength to overcome in a healthy way- with forgiveness and grace. Yes, we get angry, hurt, let down, and so on, but we look to God for help. Psalm 40:1-2 says: 1 I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
In return for our patience and trust in the Lord, we can overcome. Romans 5:3-5 says 3…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Demolishing walls takes longer than building them. Healing takes time but positioning your thoughts and heart to allow God is essential. Talk to God with honesty about what you feel. Believe me, He isn’t going to strike you down for being truthful with Him. I know I have. I have cried out: Why?? & It’s not fair! & It’s not right! (And sometimes it’s because of people, hints why loving people is challenging.) But by the grace of God, I’m here, hopeful and persevering. Knowing that He works all things out (Romans 8:18-30 worth a read!). If anything, by being honest with God, you allow the Holy Spirit to whisper and bring to mind some truth and light to your feelings. Your awareness of hearing God speak in different ways will begin to awaken. When you read scripture, allow the Holy Spirit to talk to you. I learned of these three questions that I often use when reading scripture, and I have found them super helpful:
What does this tell me about God?
What does this tell me about people/myself?
How can I live this out?
These are simple but help me to focus my attention on God. It helps me see past myself and see His sovereignty. Because of that, I can love Him, and so can you. This is a gift for anyone who accepts it. I hope this helps anyone who struggles with genuinely loving and trusting God.
Why don’t you try these three questions on Romans 8:13-30?