The small topic of love

Next month, I’m supposed to talk to the community group I’m in about love.  We all chose a characteristic that we were striving to have a better grasp of, and I chose the oh so narrow topic of love.  No sweat.  What makes this slightly better is that I have a very particular angle that I’m looking at.

This all started a year ago, when I was looking at the fact that I was still single and started asking myself what exactly I was looking for from my dream of marriage.  When I began to answer that, I had to admit that no man was capable of fulfilling that perfectly, all the time, and it would be unfair for me to put that burden on any person.  Only God can love me perfectly.  So maybe I should be focusing more on falling in love with God and truly comprehending His love for me. 

Of course, the added benefit is that I would be better able to demonstrate God’s love to others, because it would come from the overflow of my heart and not from my puny attempts to love people out of my own power.  But that’s for another post.

I have spent this year in the CS Lewis Institute’s Fellowship program.  (Highly recommended!  Application period is now.  Just saying.)  From early on in the program, I was reading authors who I respected refer to meditating on God’s Word and how they came to have a deeper understanding of their relationship with God.  That’s what I wanted!  Every month in this fellowship we’ve focused on a different topic.  But every month, what has stood out to me is how those things relate to God’s personal love for us and how we relate to him.  How many times have I read or recited John 3:16 without noticing that I was looking at “God so loves the World” as somewhat detached, rather than a very personal love, where God loves ME, individually, as a person.  (Oh yeah, and you to.  But this is about me, so humor me a bit.)

Meanwhile, in the back of my mind, I kept thinking about how I really need to start meditating on some key scripture if I’m going to truly move this idea from my head down to my heart.  But in more than 3 decades of going to church and participating in Bible studies, I don't think I've ever heard a discussion on how to meditate on the Word of God.  And guess what this month’s topic for the fellowship program is?  “Being Transformed Through the Bible.”  The action assignment?  To select a different passage of Scripture each week and meditate on it, using the Lectio Divina approach.  Woohoo!

So I’ve got three passages chosen; passages I’ve read a thousand times without truly absorbing how amazing they are.

1 Thessalonians 1:3-5a

We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, and with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

1 Peter 2:4-5, 9

As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  …But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I did a vocational analysis last week, where Dr. Lindsley talked to me for more than four hours to determine what motivates me, what my gifts are, and for what ends.  My #1 motivation?  To be chosen.  Other things speak to other people, but for me, these three verses are pretty awesome.  They tell me that God has done what no man ever has.  He has chosen me, and I am precious to Him.  I think that’s pretty deep.