Here is another story about one of my dogs. My dogs never moved since they came home as twelve week old puppies. So when we moved, the Lab took a while to adjust. While she loved the grass, she hated being away from people. She would wander around panting and searching for us. We created a cozy space for her, complete with her bed, a couch so we could sit with her as much as possible, her toys, and the rest of her dog family. Occasionally she needed to be contained, so we set up a barricade at the entrance to that space. She figured out ways to jump over it or knock it down and would go running through the house looking for us. Then we tried a shock pad in front of the barricade. She bulldozed through that too. There was simply no keeping her in any space that did not include us.
If you saw my Lab you would think she is cute and goofy. I personally think she is stubborn, silly, and gloriously clueless. What does this have to do with Jesus, you ask? Everything. Love comes in all shapes and sizes and at all levels of intellect. If a creature with minimal understanding and competency can break through every barricade just to be near us, how much more would God, the Creator, Preserver, and Protector of all things, do to be near you?
I was going over John 14:15-23 again, which was also referenced in yesterday’s article, and I was blown away by the perseverance of God. The word of God underscores, highlights, and emphasizes His love for us at every turn. First He created us, and that in itself is sufficient reason to love. But then He became Immanuel, God on earth, for us. Then He took on our sins and died a horrific death for us. He gave us the ultimate hope in His resurrection and then promised to live with us as long as we believe in Him. If I were any more selfish, I would burst with pride at how much of a protagonist I am in this story. But thanks to an iota of humility He gave me, I see that it is all about His love for us.
When He loves us so much, there is no way He is going to let us slide into an abysmal pit of darkness, discontentment, and hate without a fight. He is going to do everything in His power to save us all. So when we look at someone and wonder if they are really going to make it to Heaven, think twice. I am personally not convinced that doing everything theologically correct is what leads us back to Him. It is only by His love that we will be together in Heaven. So those people I have been writing off as unlovable? I had better hurry up and conjure up some love for them, lest they become my next door neighbors in our Father’s mansion.
“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
-Matthew 22:39
Hold me accountable, please. I am going to try living the second commandment, which is as important as the first. I love you but God loves you more. And that, if you are wondering, is also how I make it to Heaven. Not by anything I did. Purely by His love.
Dear God,
Thank You for gathering us together for Yourself. Thank You for the lengths You go to in order to keep us loved, protected, and cared for. Help me keep Your word and commandments so that I can be Your obedient child. Someday in my Father’s crowded mansion, I hope to be running around seeing a smile on Your face. I pray in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.