There was young boy sitting in the back of church one day listening to the preacher talk about love. The little boy shouted out and said: “Hey Preacher, I want to see love with skin on it." Those words echo the longing of millions of people around the world looking to see and experience love. Mother Theresa (a missionary in India) knew that cry coming from the hearts of so many people she ministered to, when she observed,
“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love.”
The British-American rock group Foreigner produced a song that reached #1 in both the UK and US that still continues to be a fixture on the charts nearly two decades after its release. The name of the song is “I Want to Know What Love Is.” The song went like this:
I've gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older
This mountain, I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds, I see love shine
Keeps me warm as life grows colder
In my life, there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far
To change this lonely life.
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me (hey)
I want to know what love is, just like the little boy in church, just like the millions who are starving, not just for bread and water, but for love.
The world is full of movies, music, books, all echoing the cry of your heart and mine. A quick Google search of, “What is the greatest need of the human heart,” surfaces this line: “To be Love and accepted.” Is it just a hunger deep down in our hearts that can never be satisfied? Is it a thirst that can never be quenched? What would it be like to find True Love? What would it be like living each day knowing that you are fully known and fully loved? What would it be like experiencing love? What would it be like if your search was over, and you found love? Well, I am here to tell you the good news: Your search and mine can end. The Bible, in just three words, makes of profound assertion:
God is Love 1John 4:8
The Bible does not say, God is mercy, but God is merciful.
The Bible does not say God is justice, but God is just.
The Bible does not say God is kindness, but God is kind.
The Bible does, however, say that God is love. He is the fountain of it, where you and I can drink deeply, freely. Fully. Jesus said, "Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again" (John 4:13). He was not referring to the physical water that our bodies need but the longing of our hearts to be satisified with love, the very life of God living in us.
Imagine someone knowing all about your past: the embarrassing failures, the humiliating regrets, the debilitating guilt, the burning shame. Imagine they knew all the times you were rude, happy or sad. All of them. Then imagine this person still adores you, wants to be in your presence everyday. That this person longs to simply share life’s journey with you, to love you, for who you are. This someone is real. This Someone is God. Will you choose to love Him in return? He won’t force you. He won't manipulate, coerce or force. He is the author of freedom and knows true love can never grow without this.
So, we must choose, lean in or lean out. I hope you choose to lean in! Your life will never be the same. Nathan and I invite you to join us in a journey of living a Loveshaped Life. One in which we SEE the beauty of God’s love, EXPERIENCE it deeply and LIVE in its wildness, daily. We invite you to connect with us, join a community of people who are committed to living such a life. Consider joining one of our cohorts and going deeper with God or enjoying a thirteen-week journey through the Bible with Nathan. We're here to walk alongside you, helping in any way we can, so God’s invitation to you becomes your experienced reality. Have a question? Prayer request? Let's connect!
Your friend, Bob