Resurrection Living || Love

If we’re honest the Resurrection isn’t very logical. Jesus was fully God, but fully human, which means He felt every ounce of pain in his horrific slaughter. But He did it for one reason.

Love.

We “get” love at a human level.  We love our family. We love our friends.  We love coffee.

We’d do anything for our family, until it’s the one (or two) family members that get under your skin.  And suddenly, you aren’t driving them to the airport or going out of your way to serve them because they’ve never served you. We go out of our way for friends. But we have limits before it becomes “being used” by our friends. And well, even though coffee hasn’t hurt you, if there isn’t a coffee shop on the way, you probably aren’t going to go 15 miles out of your way for a cup.

Our love has limits.  Our love has boundaries. Our love is, quite frankly, a little ignorant.

But then there is the image of Jesus on the cross.  Forget the heart, that is the universal symbol of Love.

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The disciple John talks about the beginning of Jesus in one of the most famous Bible verses:

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.

--John 3:16

God loves the world so much that He gave up His Son on the cross.  God loves the world so much that He freely gives eternal life to those who believes.

Notice, He doesn’t trade eternal life.  He doesn’t sell His love. He doesn’t exchange His grace.

He freely gives.  Not because we are amazing.  Not because we have it all together. Because He IS Love.

When it comes to the five love languages, my giving love language is gift-giving.  However, on the receiving end, there is one thing I know for certain: I do not like to receive gifts.  I struggle being a gracious receiver, not just of gifts, but of affection and, dare I say it, …….help.

I know Jesus did what He did for my sins.  I know Jesus’ blood dripped from the cross to give me life.  I know Jesus loves me.

I know that I know that I know….but do I live it?

Lysa Terkeurst would call this “living loved.”  Am I living loved? Or rather am I living Loved?  She says living loved looks like this:

Live from the abundant place that you are loved, and you won’t find yourself begging others for scraps of love.

— Uninvited

Am I living out of abundance or from scraps?  To put it more simply, am I living fueled by the Love of God? Am I living out of significance, out of importance, out of worth, out of being seated, out of being an heir to the Kingdom? Or am I living fueled by the love of others?  Am I living out of striving for significance, out of striving for importance, out of striving for worth, out of striving for a seat at some table, out of striving for future treasures (higher/better job position, company car, earthly inheritance) Do I wake up each day feeling loved?  Or do I wake up each day strategizing how to get affirmation from a co-worker, friend, parent, etc?

If you find yourself categorized with the things after the “or”, let me make one thing clear: you are loved.

Jesus died on that cross for one reason, and one reason only - because He loves you.

And when you choose to live in that Truth, you will find that you are living in Love.  Terkeurst continues Uninvited with this:

“If we live rooted and established in His love, we don’t just have knowledge of His loved in our minds, but it becomes a reality that anchors us.”

What is anchoring you - the affirmation of others or the Love of the Savior?