True Love - No. 139

Mark 10:21, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him. One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” 

I love these words, “Jesus beholding him loved him.” He loved him with a pure love, a deep love, an intense love. But it was a different love than we often experience. Jesus’ love was not motivated by feelings. It was motivated by seeing the highest potential for this man.

This rich man had just told Jesus that he had observed all the commandments from his youth. Our love may have responded, “My, what a great guy you are you. You have lived faithfully and well.” But Jesus’ response was, “One thing thou lackest…” This does not sound very much like love, does it? It sounds more like a rebuke. But it was the highest level of love.

Our Savior and Redeemer is not satisfied to leave us in the state that we are in. Because of His great love for us, He wants to take us on further. He wants to draw us closer to Him. We wants to take us out of our deceptions and lead us into His truth. He exposes our sins to bring us to repentance and lead us on to holiness. There are times when He allows us to go through difficulties to prove our faith. He allows us to go through trials so that we can find that He is the God who is Enough.

When things in life are tough and you may even be tempted to think that God has forgotten you, remember! Remember that God’s love is leading you on to greater heights of understanding and greater depths of the knowledge of Him. He will stir up your nest to teach you to fly. He will put challenges in your life to teach you to overcome. He may even allow you to suffer so you can experience the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings.

One of my favorite Scriptures is Proverbs 4:18, “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Your walk in Christ is a more and more walk. There is always more that God wants to do in your life to conform you to the likeness of Christ.

I believe we have a little understanding of this kind of love as parents. Our love for our children goes beyond making them happy and giving them a lovely life. True love grieves when they are disobedient and therefore disciplines. True loves knows that we must teach our children obedience, or they will be handicapped. They will not know how to obey God and therefore receive the blessings of God.

True love is not content for our children to be born again only. We intercede and groan in prayer that Christ will be formed in them. We are not content unless they walk in the fullness of Christ. We cry out continually to God that they will walk in His perfect will and advance the kingdom of God on earth. We desire this for them because we love them. Because of this, we will correct negative behavior. We will not allow disobedience. We will not allow moods and pouting. We will not allow lying. We will curb the gratifying of the flesh. We will deal with the things that will hinder them from being all God’s wants them to be.

Why? Because, beholding our children, we love them! And we will only be satisfied when God’s highest purposes are worked in their lives.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh Lord, I yield my life to you. I allow you to work in me so that Christ will be formed in me. Lord, this is also my prayer for my children. Please give me wisdom to lead them on in your ways. Save me from ruining their lives by allowing sin and negative behavior to continue. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION: