Have you ever felt unloved? I have and quite frankly, it stinks; I say this putting my best foot forward instead of my mouth. It’s easy in this cancel culture to feel that way when people simply stop having anything to do with you because you don’t think they way they do, or maybe agree with what they think you should agree with or more. I’ve seen people drop friendships and relationships for far less weightier things these days.
So, I was thinking about Jesus’ love and how easy I tend to stray from that love. Sometimes I feel alone, or feel slighted, or frustrated because something didn’t happen when I thought or how I thought it should.
It’s easy to feed into the idea that I’m out of his approval, I don’t deserve his love or kindness, that my behavior will have to improve, or that thing I did – that I was trying to stop doing – I did again and again, despite my efforts or sometimes obvious lack thereof.
There’s also the idea that I can get recalibrated on Sunday mornings, as long as I participate in some form or fashion. Sometimes I am subconsciously putting distance between myself and Jesus when I busy myself with other things rather than doing the best thing, time with him.
However, there is a greater truth to this simple concept: Jesus’ love does not simply go away like mine does. His love is not conditional, bound by time, or constraints to his physical location (we often only think of him in heaven despite Jesus being omnipresent). Jesus’ love for me is not dependent upon me. Did you catch that? Not me, not you, not them, certainly not whoever “they” are.
Jesus tells his disciples, “Just as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you, remain in my love.” (NASB) The NKJV has “abide in my love.” So, what does it mean to “remain?” Webster’s Dictionary describes to remain is to: stay, abide, dwell, linger, wait, tarry, persist in being, continue to exist, to stay in the place one is occupying.
The truth is Jesus’ love for me was, is, and will always be enough, will always be there, always be active.
I don’t have to try and please him or work towards his love. He does not now owe me, just because I’ve done what he’s asked of me. I cannot put him in a box, assuming he is as I am, deeply mired by limitations. I am not out of sight and out of mind, and neither is he.
Jesus spoke those words to his disciples knowing that he physically would not be with them after his death and resurrection. He was telling them to “persist being in my love,” “continue to exist in my love.” While Jesus was with them, he lavished his love on them, and he knew that they would miss him, grieve for him. He knew that they would have to continue their lives when he was gone.
But he wanted them to know that his love did not, would not, and could not stop! They would – you would – I would all will have his love, his “everlasting love” Jeremiah 31:3
How do I stay in his love? By living in it. Practicing his love, talking to him all day long, reading the word – reading the truth that says, “But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (He loved us before we even knew him.)
“This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement…We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:13-16, 19 (NIV)
Knowing that Jesus’ love is here and present for me is something for me to grab hold of with my whole being, to hold onto so that my heart, mind, thoughts, and senses do not walk away or waiver from his love which exists for me to occupy myself in the place he has for me.
You, my friend are no exception. Jesus loves you, and asks that you “remain in his love” too!
