I heard John Ortberg on Focus On The Family today. He was talking about how much easier it is to like/love those who are like us. It can be much more difficult to love someone to whom we can easily relate and who is predictable. Allowing ourselves to open up to someone new, or someone with different interests or a different bent can be risky, and may cause us to step out in faith. It is much easier to stay in our comfort clan, so to speak and not reach out. But something John said really made me think. I wanted to share it with you:
We can only be loved to the extent we are known…and
We can only be fully loved if we are fully known.
This is true in relationships for sure. Reaching out to others toward a complete relationship means allowing them to see the ‘real’ us. It’s not enough to only serve on church committees, chat with the other parents at soccer games or lend a hand to a neighbor shoveling snow. If we want to make lasting friendships with people who will love us fully we must be willing to open ourselves up and be vulnerable, both to rejection and acceptance. We need to be willing to be consistent with others, allowing them to see the real us – our hopes and fears…and our faults, along with the positive, happy parts of us. This can be difficult, and scary, even for adults!
Do you realize there is one who already loves you this fully? We never need to fear rejection from Him no matter what is in our mind or heart. He will always welcome us and we can be certain His actions will be consistent every time. The love we get from God is not always ooey, gooey love that makes us feel all warm inside. Sometimes He loves us enough to discipline us, allowing us to face consequences for our sins. But even in the midst of hard times and hurting, the depth of His love never fades.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 8:38-39
Just as in building and growing relationships with others requires consistency from us, so does our relationship with God. We can only know Him fully when we consistently open ourselves up to Him, honestly sharing our heart, our faults and our fears. We might feel like we’re taking a risk to spend time with Him every day and open ourselves up to Him at all times – not waiting until we feel all cleaned-up and ready to talk to Him. When we take those steps of faith we’ll find Him waiting for us, arms and heart open wide.
Growing relationships with other humans can be risky. It’s important to be sure before we allow someone else to know us fully that they are someone God has put in our path who can love us fully and not someone who will take advantage of our vulnerability. This takes prayer, time, and a little testing of the waters. Thankfully growing our relationship with God is never truly risky. God is a solid rock on whom we can depend to never leave us and never let us down.
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
~ Isaiah 26:3-4
Take the risk and get to know Him better today. You’ll be glad you did!
blessings and peace as you step out in faith…
Paula
Paula Davis 