“Where We Are”: What We Love When We Love God (part 8)
Throughout this series of reflections, we have observed some of the large categories that contain reasons we love God; or, as we’ve described it, what we love when we say we love God.
Things like His worthiness—who God is, in Himself—and His Word, through which He uniquely makes Himself known to us. And the World He has made to reveal His glory. And the wonderous Works He has done, that He might be seen and known. And His Will, revealed in the counsels and commands of Scripture. And, lastly, God’s surprising and delightful Ways.
And in all these observations, we have seen that, in each case, Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Expression of that aspect of God’s life, the Ultimate Revelation of God Himself.
And so we have considered that what Scripture calls us to—adoration, worship, gratitude, awe, faith, obedience, and love—are entirely appropriate.
But this entire series is not finally about God Himself, but rather about us.
Jesus says, in Mark 12:30-31: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength… [And] You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” What does it mean to love others “as we love ourselves”? We could just reflect on how we normally, often sinfully and selfishly, love ourselves. But that’s not what Jesus is calling us to imitate. Instead, we’ve been looking at the immediately preceding context to see if there’s a better way.
There is. There is something about how we “love God” that can help us understand how we are “to love ourselves” in a way that draws us toward loving others well.
Let us begin to apply these things.
First, we must consider that we exist within these things we love about God.
Just as in a children’s, “Where’s Waldo?” book, when we look more carefully at, for example, the World God has made, who do we see? Hey! That’s you! There’s me!
And when we look more carefully at the Ways of God, the operations of His providence in history, what do we inevitably discover? Hey! That’s my whole life! And there’s your life too!
Or when we examine the Works of God, how He calls, saves, redeems, what must we also notice? Yup. Our names on that list of wonders.
The Main Point to all these reflections is: We can learn how to love our neighbors better, as we learn how to love ourselves by our love for God.
We are going to continue to reflect on this, because it’s a tricky point to make, but I think quite powerful.
But for today, here’s one initial point to consider: we ourselves and our lives are included in those things we love God for. Our existence is contained within the things we love about God.
Specifically, we are part of the World He has made. Our hearts, souls, bodies, minds—our DNA and genetic heritage, and our birth order, and our personalities—all of what we are, was made by God. “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psa 139:14) Our existence as created being is part of what He has made.
And our whole lives have been and are being ordered by His gracious Ways. Yes, it has been a strange and bumpy ride! Yes, it has been often a “valley full of fearful, dark, shadows.” But also, yes, He has been with us all the way—“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me.” (Psa 139:5) Our ways are within His ways.
And the story of our redemption is a Work of God. Not just His forming us in our mother’s womb (Psa 139:13), and not just the blessings and the keepings of God upon our lives, but also the growing need, the awareness, emerging from pains, folly, and fears, which led us to consider Jesus Christ and God’s promises. And so we were led to Him, to faith in Him. And so our lives, who and what we are and our whole story, is another of the wondrous works of God.
We exist within what we love about God. What we are, where we are, the whole thing of our selves and lives, is entirely contained within What we love when we say we love God.
So, how can we love God, and not also then appropriately love ourselves, as made by Him, as cared for by Him, as shaped and directed by His loving hand?
PRAYER
LORD God, with the psalmist, I say: “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works—my soul knows it well.”
Yet I confess that often I live my life as if I were not made by Your wise and loving hand, as if no Wonderful God were watching over my story, as if no Good Shepherd were leading me Home. I confess that I often live as if my life were chance, oversight, meaningless, aimless, pointless, and I am undesirable, without value, adrift, alone, lost, hopeless. This is the story I hear so often.
But it is not true. I belong to You. I am Yours. And You are mine. Holy Spirit, please help “my soul” to know this—to know the love of God which surpasses knowledge, to know I am precious to Him, to know He is with me, every step of the way. I praise You, Father, In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
[Psa 139:14; Eph 3:19; 1Pet 2:4; Psa 23:1]