Learning to Love

I'm pondering these words today. Brought by God through something Sally Clarkson wrote almost a year ago.

Words I need to hear as this is an area I've been battling in.

I am weary with pursuing, for the sake of love, after someone who continues to resist in the most hurtful ways. But I hear Christ reminding me that, even while I was still a sinner, He died for me. The ultimate pursuing love for the vilest resister. How prideful I am to think I can pull back from this!

Thank you, Lord, for bringing this to my eyes. What encouragement to press on!

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Choosing to pursue is an act of obedience. Taking responsibility to encourage and to give life-giving words and to redeem is one of the best reflections of the reality of Christ in our lives--God was always initiating--creating a garden where the life of Adam and Eve could thrive and be blessed; providing clothes after they had sinned, giving them a history of a people beloved by God, providing manna and quail, giving words of encouragement, giving fish and loaves when noticing personal needs, promises of hope, pursued by Him and ultimately the final sacrifice--becoming, humbly, a man to serve and love and prepare meals and wash feet and redeem.


And so because we have felt the healing grace of His touch, deeply in the hidden places, and been transformed by His heart, we in turn, after knowing , we pursue those He would touch through us.

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Most of the time, I cannot see that these beloved want me to pursue them, often it seems just the opposite--especially with hormonal teens and preteens. And even with disgruntled adults. But, if I could see the cries of their inner heart, "I am discouraged, frustrated, feel inadequate, insecure, angry, overwhelmed," I would know that a supernatural touch of unconditional love, words of life, hope held out before them, is just what they need--and we become the hands, words and messages from God to them.


Each of us has time and ability--but we must be stewards of this time and the capacity we have to bring love and encouragement and words of life to all God brings our way. In loving and pondering Christ, He becomes our model--while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us--he didn't wait until we were worthy, or asked him to die--he just initiated His love, because He knew that while we were separated from Him, we would be lost forever.

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And so, He sends us to initiate, to find those who need the love and life of Christ, before they even ask. We don't initiate because we feel like it--we may be weary, discouraged ourselves. But we do it out of obedience, because He did it--and it is His supernatural grace that drives us to give of ourselves to others.

Excerpted from www.ITakeJoy.com, November 10, 2009.
Copyright 2009 by Sally Clarkson. Used by permission.