Unconditional Love

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  (NIV)

Whenever I feel unloved, I go to Calvary.  Whenever I feel pressured by the world, I remember Calvary.  Whenever I feel lost, lonely or alone, I go to Calvary–the place where human suffering is laid out in full view.  I go to that place where our sinless Lord is dying– not for sins He committed, but for our sins–yours and mine.  And I marvel at the way God chose to write an unforgettable message of unconditional love, especially when we were so undeserving and so unworthy. I am amazed, but you have to see the suffering in order to see the love.  And you will miss the depth of the love if you do not understand the degree of the suffering.  What an extraordinary picture God paints of unconditional love!

But if the truth be told, I believe most of us would settle for love in any condition, but it is unconditional love that we crave.  You know: love without restrictions;love without prerequisites or requirements; love without qualification or reservation, love without hidden clauses or small print; that never keeps a scorecard of rights and wrongs; that never says, if you love me you would do this; or you don’t love me because you didn’t do that. It’s love that has no limits; that sets no boundaries; that draws no lines; that is always open.  It’s the kind of love we get –not because we are lovable but because we are beloved. You see, real, authentic love finds it own way; acts on its own initiative. It’s the 1 Corinthians Chapter 13′ kind of love.  It’s a man named, Jonas Beiler’s “No Pre-nup–No Post-nup” love.  That’s the kind of love we want most!

It’s the kind of love, that loves us not just when we are dressed up in all our “stuff” — but also loves when we are dressed down and stripped of all pretense.  The kind of love that loves when we are wrestling in the dark corners of our lives.  That loves when we are wallowing in our muck, mire, and misery. That loves when we are acting the fool and should know better. That loves whether we are wrong or right.   That cherishes us when we get lost and can’t find our way.  That loves when we try and fail in our trying, that keeps on loving when we get old, gray, and wrinkled; that loves us even without makeup; that doesn’t stop loving because our breath is unpleasant; our noses are drippy or our hair is a mess; that adores us even when our heads are bald; our bellies hang over our belts and all of our teeth are gone.  I’m talking about THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL– THE LOVE OF GOD THAT (ON CALVARY) LOVED US WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE — IN SPITE OF WHO AND WHAT WE WERE — THAT SAW US AT OUR WORST AND STILL GAVE THE VERY BEST.  WITHOUT A DOUBT, THAT’S  (MATCHLESS), UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!!!!

The songwriter said it best:  “I could not imagine what loving me would cost until Jesus went to Calvary and loved me with a Cross.” May you rejoice always in these words found in Romans 8:38-39 (RSV) “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 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.” Be Blessed and Happy Valentines Day to ALL.