As Christians, love is the basis of our entire identity. Our spiritual rebirth comes because "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." (John 3:16) And because of God's love, we are propelled to go into the world and love others.
Our love for others is what is suppose to be how people distinguish us as Disciples of Christ! (John 13:35), it is the root and ground of our very being (Ephesians 3:17). It is what we should all be striving towards to get better and better at.
So what happens when the love that we have nourished and shared is rejected? How do we handle it when someone we have loved, chooses to not love us back? This happens in many relationships, not just marriage. Friends turn their back. Spouses leave. Parents split up. Co-workers betray your trust.
Being faithful...how difficult is it to just do what you say? In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS, I polled the readers the following question, "Do you find it difficult to remain faithful to things?" The top 3 answers were:
1. 60% of those polled, said that they find it difficult to be faithful to read their Bible.
2. 20% voted and said that it is difficult to be faithful in alot of things.
3. 10% said that keeping commitments was really difficult to be faithful to.
The results of this week's poll makes me think that possibly when it comes to being faithful, we must learn to be faithful in the small things before we can be faithful in the bigger things! Learning to be faithful in our relationships may first start with learning to be faithful with our time, with our money and our talents. The prophet Hosea was a remarkable example of the depths of faithfulness that God's children should take:
Against all logic, God instructed Hosea to marry a woman who was a prostitute. Even though his marriage to Gomer produced 3 children, it wasn't long before her past caused her to be unfaithful. Hosea was brokenhearted and no doubt feeling abandoned and shamed. Hosea loved his wife, but she was disloyal and adulterous. She rejected him for another cheap version of love.
Time had passed by, and God spoke to Hosea again. Yet again, God asked Hosea to do something against all logic...find Gomer and reaffirm his love to her. Gomer had reached an all-time low and had been brought before the slave block, to be sold. Hosea paid the price for her redemption and brought her back home and embraced her with love and forgiveness.
What a beautiful story of faithful love, even thru rejection. This depicts the very love story that God has for us! Even though we reject Him, and we are unfaithful to Him with our Bible Reading and Praying ... He still waits with open arms to welcome us home. There is no better love than the love of our Heavenly Father.
It IS possible to be faithful not only in the small things, but the BIG things too...with the help of God!
God will show us how to be faithful.
ReplyDeleteLovely post.Waow! at Hosea's faithfulness. That is really deep.
ReplyDeletePraise God that all things are possible with Him! I agree, when we are faithful with the little things, it is easier to be faithful with the big things – but only through God’s strength and not our own. We are all human and imperfect – but He is our strength! If and when, a time comes when we need to forgive someone else, God will also enable us to show mercy and grace. He is our greatest example of true, faithful, Love.
ReplyDeleteHumbled by His Mercy and Grace, Joan