We rest in God’s love for us, not our love for God
Vanessa Bonilla
Have you ever heard the saying “rat race?” Life has been compared to a rat race since the 30s. It’s the idea that we are in this endless pursuit of a prize that isn’t worth the energy spent on the pursuit. We can often transfer that way of thinking into our relationship with God. Why pray, read my word, or invest the energy? What will I gain and is the reward worth the effort? It is only through Scripture that this mindset can be renewed, and our thinking transformed.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
He loved us before we chose to serve and love Him. We didn’t start this race. He started it and finished it on our behalf! He loved us in our deepest, darkest pits of despair. When evil and hate ruled our hearts, His love was extended, and His light showed a path to true love.
We so easily make our relationship with Christ a job instead of a joy. And this perspective causes us confusion and pain. We begin to believe the lies that we are not loved or cared for as we should be.
“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
1 John 4:9-10 (NIV)
God wants to show us His love. He is the very definition of love! There are so many different opinions of what love looks like, feels like, and should be like, and yet 1 John tells us “This is love:” Whatever we knew before we have to leave behind. Every broken heart, every painful memory, every lie we believed, we need to leave it at the feet of love. When we spend time with God, we don’t do it to earn more love, earn more faith, to earn anything at all!
To spend quiet time with the Lord daily is to exist in the presence of pure undefiled love and fall daily into the arms of grace as a shelter from every false representation of love in every corner of this wicked world. The rat race teaches us to run to get ahead; no sleep, no love, no peace just run! God is calling us to rest. Let’s enter into His love, enter His rest and share it with every weary soul around us.
Heavenly Father, remind me that you have overcome death and the grave to redeem me. Remind me that you hold no good thing from those who walk uprightly. Remind me that you call me into your rest and fight my battles. Remind me that I don’t live as the world does because I run not for a crown that will not last, but to get a crown that will last forever. Allow my heart to remember these truths so I may find joy in getting to know you better through your Word daily! Thank you, Lord, for your unfailing love.
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Vanessa Bonilla lives with her husband, Eli, in Brooklyn, NY where she homeschools their five children. Vanessa is also the Children’s Director at her church, and she loves fire pits, friends, and spending time with her family. |