Top 10 Regrets #4 I tried to love God.
Top 10 Regrets
- I believed the sun would rise tomorrow.
- I tried to control my tongue.
- I hugged my wife when I came home from work.
- I tried to love God.
- I cared about other people’s problems.
- I sang along in church.
- I closed my eyes in prayer.
- I held it together.
- I kept going.
- I spent time with my kids.
Number four is… I regret I tried to love God.
What ever could be wrong with that?
The love between God and His child is a unique type of love. It is the love that we know is characteristic of God Himself. It is an attribute of God. It is God giving Himself to us. We do not bring it to the relationship. We do not manufacture it or grow it or develop it in the relationship. We participate in it and partake of it.
Think about the sun and the moon… and light.
The moon does not try to light up the sun. The moon participates in the light of the sun. The moon does not grow it or develop it. And yet the moon provides light in the night sky, not by trying, but by receiving the sun’s light and reflecting.
If I am trying to love God, I misunderstand the difference between the sun and the moon. What I can do is turn my face toward Him and allow him to love me. I can come to know His love and experience his love and reflect it back.
Have I allowed myself to be loved by God, believing that He will never love me any more or less than He does right now? Believing that He is the one that generates the love that I reflect back to Him (and to the rest of the night sky).
Have I really opened myself up that widely to Him? Really faced Him? Reflected back His love?
I want to constantly turn my face toward His love for me, knowing He brings love to the table… not me.
I regret that I tried to love God.
David Hamilton
What amazes me is how much He loves me…because He loves me. Not because of anything I do or am or try to be. My love for Him is so weak compared to what He has for me. Rather overwhelming, really.
Yup. That’s right. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Sometimes it’s hard to truly accept He loves me when I don’t love myself very well; there are days where all I’m able to see are my weaknesses.
I understand. That’s why I wrote this. :)
you’re so smart. :)
Ummm are you just trying to get me to type el oh el?
It’s said that we only use 10% of our brain and we are made in God’s image. Do you suppose we will use the other 90% when we are enlightened in heaven–perhaps to finally and fully understand the things God knows, such as love? Wow we have a lot to learn. Ha, ha.
Thanks for the comment and it’s good to see you reading and commenting again. It’s been a while.
2 sense I agree; When I struggle with my weaknesses (isn’t that a nice way to say “issues”???), I find some comfort in reminding myself that in Heaven I will see not “darkly, but face to face” and I’ll know not only WHY I had so much pain in life but also how God molded me into Christ’s image with the pain. But for now, it just hurts.
I love the beautiful analogy of the sun and moon. My challenge this week is to turn my face and keep my gaze fixed on him!
Thanks! In writing this I started thinking about that for the first time and I just like the way it helped me to think about it so I thought I’d pass it on.
Thanks for reading and commenting. – and for taking on the challenge. It IS a challenge.(Especially now in Michigan where we get very little completely sunny days.)
How true, how true. Makes me want to sing “Jesus loves me.”
Hmmm. You feel a song coming on? Well, it’s a good song. Let it ring! :)