Impossible Love...

The fragrance of friendship is the sweet aroma of trust. It is the holding out of your hand to another, and gently unfolding your heart - believing they will accept what you are offering - yourself. The betrayal of that trust is a very painful thing.

Recently, I have heard the Lord calling me to a deeper understanding of friendship, and I am reminded of Jesus in the garden and Judas' kiss of betrayal. I am sure Jesus felt that betrayal as deeply as we do, with all of our human emotions. I can imagine the scene - feel the anguish of that moment - but there the familiarity ends because in that moment could the Son of God look at Judas with anything but love?

This is a hard calling, this loving of your enemies, this loving unconditionally even when someone has hurt you. This is 'friendship' on a deeper plane, a level few of us attain. Yet it is crucial in our understanding of God's love for us. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace. that He might reconcile them both to God in one body, through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." (Ephesians 2:13-14, selected) We were His enemy, yet Jesus calls us His 'friends' (John 15:12-15)

So how do we achieve this impossible love for those who may have let us down or hurt us? Only by God's grace - the grace that was offered to us - only by extending that grace to others will we love as God loves and wants us to love.

As do most of us I am sure, I know a little about betrayal and broken promises. Whether from ignorance, misunderstanding, malice, or simply circumstances out of our control, we let each other down. Peter spoke eloquently of this very human failing in 1 Peter. "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all guile, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.finally all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."

A difficult calling indeed. Yet we have such an example of perfect love to follow, and Peter speaks to that as well "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 'Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth', who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously."

But He was God! Yes, and He was human, too, and experienced all of life's most painful circumstances. The difference is that He responded as His Father wanted Him to and committed no sin. Misunderstood by family, talked about behind His back in the community, let down by friends whom He counted on in the garden, betrayed by one of His 'inner circle' of those closest to Him, crying out to His Father - asking 'why have You forsaken Me'? Which of our darkest moments can He not understand, having already been through it Himself?

Perhaps the key lies in understanding, or trying to understand, others. Have you ever been around a wounded animal? They will lash out at even the gentlest of hands - because they are hurting and only trying to protect themselves. Becoming vulnerable to others - and the possibility of being hurt by them again - is that really what God is asking us to do?

I think it is. "That's so hard." "That's not fair." "You don't understand! I've been hurt so badly and I can't trust that person again." I've thought, and said, all of that, too! But God isn't asking us to trust people (for they will let you down again), but He is asking us to trust Him. Loving others isn't easy but letting God do the loving is a cinch - as long as 'we' step out of the picture altogether. That's the hard part.

Is there a 'limit' to what we have to take from others? How far do we take this 'turn the other cheek'? What about the woman who is in an abusive or emotionally destructive relationship? What about friends who time after time lie or gossip behind our backs?

More tough questions. Remind you of Peter asking how many times we should forgive? Christ answer was seventy times seventy - literally again and again! Ephesians talks about 'speaking the truth in love'. In chapter four, verse twelve it says that the gifts of the Spirit were given for the 'equipping of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ - till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of man in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive - but speaking the truth in love."

That doesn't sound like a doormat to me! God recognizes our failings and we need to recognize them, too, and call it what it is - sin. Unfortunately, most of us want to bash the Word over someone's head - not speak the truth in love.

So this is what it comes down to - a willingness to look beyond ourselves - to allow the Holy Spirit to love through us and not attempt it on our own. Being honest, yet still full of love. The 'answers' are easy - it's the actions that are tough. The truth of the matter is.we all fail and forgiveness must be a daily part of our relationships with one another.

'Til both of us meet

At Jesus' feet

And humble ourselves before Him

A fellowship sweet

Will not be complete

Until we take our eyes off of us

and adore Him.

All for Him,

Missy