The Path to Love

We all know a journey has to start somewhere. But oh how we (me too!) wish the path didn't include suffering, endurance and character-building on the way to hope! And of course hope fulfilled is the satisfier.

So what about love- real, not imagined, sustaining, blessing us love?

Paul in Romans 5 tells us as we proceed along the path I just listed above, this:

"and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."

Note "has been" as in already, now, in us

I've known countless professing Christ-followers who did not, do not live in such hope. Temptations to abandon the path essentially are about us abandoning authentic relationship with God in Christ by the power and intimacy of the Spirit. It's about both grieving and quenching the Spirit in our choices. We act out unfaith just as we live out genuine saving faith. On the negative side this is how here-and-now hope which is eternal hope gets discarded.

We decide we know better than God. The struggles we have must mean He doesn't exist, doesn't care, isn't fair and of course when our eyes are fixed on Christians (so-called anyway) hopelessness regarding God and faith in the risen Savior gets tossed.

Further, the path itself is one ALL people walk but often decide -not- with the Lord. Savior, sure, but Master of my life?!

So some figure because they've not felt (emotional focus) nor via logic (intellectual focus) been satisfied with their life experience (be it past, present or both) following Jesus is a waste -as if following themselves is the answer??

We sometimes imagine what God's love being poured into our heart would be like. At such point I wonder if our tainted, imperfect imagination also builds a wall between ourselves and the true God of love Who by His Spirit seeks us out for intimacy with Him.

The boxes we create for God, the rebel's heart against Jesus reigning as LORD in our life and the rejection of -HIS- path as per Paul's statement here seems rather clear.

Then again, as long as we breathe we can repent (turn fully around, re-think) and come out of the woods spiritually.

The Holy Spirit is indeed holy. We must return to His embrace and embrace His Word, his pathway to experience the love we seek.

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn