My soul clings to you,Your right hand upholds me.
The last few weeks, God has been really impressing on me this verse. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” This Sunday, my pastor talked about a man who was in a fox hole in the middle of a battle trembling, afraid, frozen with fear, and unable to get up and fight. Later, after the battle, a sergeant talked with him, and he told him that those who are able to fight are able to do so because they already know that they are dead.
Love is not something that is experienced and lived in the comfortable Christian-ease lifestyle. Love is something that is lived in the reality of the battles of life. Love is a theology that must be learned in the trenches, in the mud, and in the mire of life.
We often try to protect our hearts. We stay trembling in the fox hole, afraid because running out into the battlefield makes our hearts vulnerable and puts us at risk of dying. We stay in our comfortable Christian-ease environment seeking “safe and holy” relationships. We believe . . .A Christian’s heart shouldn’t be broken or hurt or devastated or unprotected. Relationships shouldn’t be messy. . . But then Christ comes and shocks us. He doesn’t live a life of protecting His heart. He comes to love by dying.
He tells us to forgive those who have sinned against us. He tells us to turn the other cheek when we are wronged. He tells us to serve more when we are taken advantage of. He tells us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. He tells us to love as He has loved us. You see, you cannot love until you are dead.
The scripture tells us to protect our hearts from seduction and evil, but it never tells us to protect our hearts from righteousness and godly love. When it comes to godly love we are commanded to die.
