God’s Love Is Unconditional
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -- Romans 5:8
A number of years ago a dear friend decided I was his fantasy. It sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it? Don’t we all want to be “perfect” for someone else? Well, let me tell you, he was not Prince Charming and I was not Cinderella.
It was never about me. And, honestly, it was never about him. It was his fantasy, his dream, his preoccupation with what he thought he wanted and needed. Yeah. When I put it that way it doesn’t sound real great, does it?
I knew a crash-ending loomed ahead and I resisted the move from friendship to romance. He pushed forward, determined to get what he wanted. I wonder sometimes what ever happened to him. He was a wonderful person but he could never have accepted a real person in place of his fantasy. The love he offered, sincere though it was, was conditional on my performing adequately in his fantasy.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? -- Romans 8:34
Many children face performance anxiety every day. And not just with their peers, teachers, and coaches. Their parents sometimes deny love based on performance. Isn’t that sad?
Home isn’t always a safe place. Is love based on keeping a clean house? If love based on popularity? Is love based on looks, athletic ability, or what you can do for someone else? Because that isn’t love -- no matter how many times the other person tries to convince us it is.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-- Romans 8:38-39
We don’t understand unconditional love because we’ve never experienced it. People who say they love us, reject us. They put stipulations on that love. They hurt us and wish bad things for us. Even parents -- who are supposed to love their children no matter what -- sometimes reject them, put stipulations on them, try to use their love to control their children. We fail each other no matter how good our intentions.
So when God offers us unconditional love, we don’t really believe Him. We want to but our experience is that “unconditional” love always comes with strings attached and always fails in the end. Not so with God. His love is perfect. Unconditional. Without end. A perfect love just for us.
We don’t understand unconditional love because we’ve never experienced it. People who say they love us, reject us. They put stipulations on that love. They hurt us and wish bad things for us. Even parents -- who are supposed to love their children no matter what -- sometimes reject them, put stipulations on them, try to use their love to control their children. We fail each other no matter how good our intentions.
So when God offers us unconditional love, we don’t really believe Him. We want to but our experience is that “unconditional” love always comes with strings attached and always fails in the end. Not so with God. His love is perfect. Unconditional. Without end. A perfect love just for us.
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