Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Unconditionally

Posted by Christoph






Had someone asked me a while ago, which way I would like to be loved, I'd probably have said: "Well RIGHT NOW, and passionately!"
Love is a tricky thing - almost every time I think I got it all figured out, I realize how little I know at all. Anyone who's gone through the agony of heartbreak can probably testify to this. Especially to one's blindness to one's own incapacity to love.

The thing is not that I did not love. The thing is not even that I did not love much. The thing is I did not know how to love WELL!
I absolutely love Philippians 1:9, especially in The Message translation where it reads:

"So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well."

I think this is so so true! It continues to say that our love should be circumspect, not sentimental gush. Other translations read:

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,"

The thing with love is, I didn't know how to love well and wisely. I didn't know how relationships worked. I was little child, handed a grown-ups thing. Well, I guess I wasn't handed it, I guess I took it. Different story.
I was selfish, I was insecure, I was unforgiving, I loved being right, I had sin in my life...
The list of my shortcomings is long - I was to busy blaming someone else.

I feel that each day I'm learning a little more what true love really is. I'm still far from where I think I should be. But I hope that one day, I'll be able to love well. In fact, I have many people around me, and I can already start to love them. My family, my friends. 
If you ask me now how I want to be loved, I'd say: First I want to love. If then I should get loved back in return, that's great! I'd say that first and foremost I want to love my family and friends, the people closest to me. I want to love Jesus wholeheartedly. I want to love myself. I'd say that I'd rather prepare for the day that there might be room for a special someone.
If you asked me today, I'd say I'd like to love unconditionally. And that's the way I'd like to be loved.






How wonderful is the fact that I'm already loved like that?
The Bible tells me that God himself loves me like that! 
We're celebrating the proof of his love these days: He became human to be close to us! To open up the way for a relationship with himself. He paid for our shortcomings, if we let him.
In that way, he subsequently made a way for any other relationship as well.
In the forgiveness of our sins, we find the strength and possibility to forgive others. 
Thank you Jesus, for loving me unconditionally!
Thank for for coming anyway, even though you knew we wouldn't love you back.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16

1 comment:

  1. Thank you Christoph, for once again a post of wisdom and truth. Thought of this Christmas carol after reading your words.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKzELyhM7rY

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