Driven To Him
I want to “get better” at expressing love. I want to be freer in dispensing something God gives me in droves, which I NEVER earn or deserve or merit. I’m aware of my inadequacy more intensely these days when I fail to love as I want to, or as I believe I ought to. But The Lord has been showing me of late, that paramount to Him, is my proximity to Him.
I have an idea He’s not hyper-focused, as I am, on me getting the “love-thing” right, rather He is foremost interested in “my soul following close behind Him; His right hand upholding me,” (Psalm 63:8). That’s a posture of clinging, of dependence, of the relinquishing of control. I’m then hyper-focused about hanging on to Him, not about becoming a better lover.
This in no way diminishes the command to love as Jesus loved. But I can quickly forget that the giving of that love is a bi-product of abiding. God does through me what I cannot do in-and-of myself. My focus is upon Jesus, not upon myself striving to get better at something. I find it more than frustrating that even in my so-called attempts to be more Christ-like, I succumb to my fleshly nature, making a self-less act completely about MYSELF. I can be too easily led astray…. too easily distracted, subtly shifting my focus inwardly.
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If I had to summarize my journey of late, I would simply say, “I am driven to Him.” There is no other place of safely, no other source from which I can draw, no other sanctuary. He calls me to Himself. And if I choose not to respond, sometimes He drives me to Himself. That is love. That is goodness. That is kindness. He would have me know that from that place of fellowship comes expressions of love that will flow to those I encounter. The command to love as Jesus loved, will be fulfilled.
Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday. May the Risen Lord draw you to himself. May you go willingly and eagerly. May you enjoy loving Him and being loved by Him, and may those who cross your path be caught up in the overflow.
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish.
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge.
~Psalm 73:27-28~
4 Comments
Jo Anne
Beautiful, well-said message. The harder we try, the more it becomes OUR work. I am finding the closer I get to the Lord, the more focused on Him I become, and the less it becomes about me, the easier it is to love with His perfect love flowing through me, seeing precious souls as He sees them.
Anonymous
Thanks Annie, I am right at a place where I needed to hear this. I will read it several times to let it seep deeply into my spirit…
Thanks for being available to the Holy Spirit for folks like me….
Love you
~L
Debbie
Dear Anne
Your words pierce my heart as I have felt The Lord telling me this very thing the past few weeks. I have become very aware of my “un-loving” attitude towards people–even my brothers and sisters in Christ. I expect things to be black and white and I’ve become intolerant of people who walk in the “grey” areas of this thing called Christianity (of course from my perspective!).
The Lord was slowing getting my attention about loving others but I found myself trying to do it on my own. And of course that wasn’t going too well for me. Your words speak volumes to my heart about my need to draw close to Him and then the love for others will flow forth from me naturally. Thanks for sharing from your heart and journey… I for one am blessed and awakened by your faith walk.
De
Thanks dear friend. God’s heart is that I delight in Him, abide in Him, rest in Him, live in His presence, that my soul/my being will cling to Him. His greatest gift to me is Himself. When I live in this place/space/relationship with Him I don’t focus/worry/or really even care if I am producing/replicating Him…it will naturally flow. I can’t manufacture any good thing in me….I can definitely fake it for a brief while, but He drives me back to Himself by His love, acceptance, goodness, grace, kindness, and gentleness with me.
As Jesus cried out to God the Father in the garden….He longs for us to know Him the only true God and His Son whom He sent.
Onward and upward my friend!