It's taken a few years to get to this point, but Valentine's Day doesn't bother me. Honestly. Get a baby sitter this Friday. Go out with your spouse and have a wonderful romantic evening. You have my blessing. However, there is one aspect of Valentine's Day that I could do without - Jesus as my Valentine.
Perhaps this is to remind single women like me that we are loved and not left out. So if you are solo on Valentine's Day, there's always Jesus, right? Now I'm sure people mean well, but at my age, I can't envision myself being swept off my feet by a divine Prince Charming. I'd probably slip and fall, ruining the moment. But God's love for me in Christ isn't sentimental. It's founded in the truth.
God has no illusions about who I am apart from Christ. He didn't set His love on me because I was inherently lovable. Quite the contrary, I was in the "no one seeks after God" crowd. But when I was His enemy, Christ died for me - a death that wasn't a dramatic gesture to show my worth, but to pay the ugly cost of my sin. (Rom. 3:11, 5:6-11, Isaiah 53:4-6)
Jesus did not promise me a happily-ever-after rose garden. There will be tribulation in this world, but He has overcome. It's not a matter of if I suffer but when I suffer, but absolutely nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ. (John 16:33; 1 Pet. 4:12-13; Rom. 8:38-39)
There are many times when my love for God engages my emotions. It's wonderful when that happens, but there is a foundation that remains whether the feelings are there or not.
God does not lie. His Word is sure. And this is where I rest.
Excellent. Two hallmarks of your writing, Persis, is your straightforwardness and your honesty--both are so inviting.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I was reading in Romans. In Romans 16, Paul names all the people to whom he was sending greetings. And in the register of the people there was beloved Persis, right in the middle of them all, working hard in the Lord.
Thank you.
Thanks for your encouraging words, Liz. It means a lot coming from you.
Delete