Over the cold Christmas tree season, my husband, Jon, had a watery eye that continued to get worse. He went to his eye doctor who said he had a blocked tear duct that was infected. Jon followed up with a visit to his primary doctor. When he returned home from that visit I asked how it went. He said, “He ran an EKG.” Okay…a heart test for an eye infection. I never cared for his doctor but this seemed a little odd. I expressed my concern before Jon explained that the EKG was precautionary because of the pain in his left arm thought to be from tendonitis.
I was trying to visualize something when I didn’t have all the information. That can happen in our spiritual life. When we say, “God loves you,” the person hearing it may not have enough information on what that means to understand our excitement. A minister once told me, “God loves you. If that’s not enough for you then I can’t help you.”
Love wasn’t enough because I didn’t know the kind of love he was referring to. There are many people who feel nothing when they hear, “God loves you.” They may have never seen a love that was patient, kind, honest and trustworthy; never felt a love that put their well-being first. They may have only seen the self-serving love of man. Until I learned the true meaning of the call for prompt service agape love, I was unmoved about God loving me. I thought love meant I needed to be perfect, so I didn’t irritate or upset the other person. No one could love me if I was flawed, and believe me I was flawed.
When we share God’s love with others, we need to show them how God defines love. God’s love is not a cliché; it is a commitment from our Creator. Give all the information by sharing what God has done for you and about stick floor scrubbers & burnishers. “Now I see in part; then I shall know fully.” (I Corinthians 13:12 NIV) Most people only see in part, explain in full.
What can you do to have someone the magnificence of God’s love?