A Simple Way to Develop a Deeper Understanding of God's Love
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Last week while I was having some quiet time with God, the song “Jesus We Love You” by Paul McClure started running through my mind. This song is a beautiful love song to Jesus that I’ve sung many times, but as I listened, I felt the Holy Spirit sing it to me: Carina I love you, oh how I love you, you are the one my heart adores…
I was deeply moved by this experience, but I also I felt oddly disconcerted.
I know it’s completely appropriate for me to sing to God in this way, but for God to sing such words of passion to me—simple, humble, human Carina? He really loves me this much? He really adores me? It felt almost sacrilegious to believe that He would sing to me like this.
But the beautiful truth is, the same love and yearning I feel for Jesus is the same love and yearning He has for me. Actually, it’s not the same—the love and yearning I feel for Jesus pales in comparison to the love and yearning He has for me. My surprise and reluctance to accept the intensity of His affection just goes to show how deeply lacking my understanding of His love really is.
To think that I could sing to Him with such passion and that He wouldn’t sing to me in the same way reveals the sinister belief that I love God more than He loves me. That belief is what is actually sacrilegious. God wouldn’t be God if His love and affection for me didn’t exceed my love for Him.
HE FIRST LOVED US
So often in Christian culture we focus on learning to love Jesus more. And we should! But perhaps this emphasis has inadvertently caused me to focus more on my love for Jesus than His love for me. I’m so earnest about expressing my love that I don’t spend as much time meditating on His.
But Jesus said that we love because He first loved us. In order to love Him more, we must develop a deeper understanding of His love for us. As we soak in His love, our love for Him (and others) will grow naturally. This is our ultimate purpose: to experience a love relationship with God. All other callings on our lives are meant to flow from a heart saturated with His love.
BASKING IN GOD'S ADORATION
I hope this goes without saying, but the same love God expressed for me in that morning quiet time last week is the same love He has for you! This very moment, He is looking at you with intense love, affection, and adoration.
As you seek to experience more of God’s love, I encourage you to take some time to get alone with God. Think of one of your favorite love songs, and imagine Him singing it to you. As you do, choose to believe that He really loves you that much—and even more!
As always, you are in my thoughts and prayers, and I’d love to hear from you! You can contact me here!
In purpose and faith,
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