God’s Love is Greater than Anything you can Find: Hunt No More

Love is a powerful word; it is both a noun and a verb. As a teenage girl, I often found this emotion fleeting and I  didn’t fully understand it. I, like many other teenagers, would hunt for other things to fill the void. God’s loves is greater than anything we could ever experience, yet it is a gift He gives freely, we chose whether or not we will accept it. Not realizing the solution to the problem, when love doesn’t reside in the soul, many turn to substances, material possessions, or carnal pleasures. We may lie, deny the need, or hurt ourselves in hopes to alleviate the pain left by its absence, while searching for other things to make us happy; thinking that love will follow. Love from a fellow human is a beautiful thing yet it still pales in comparison to the perfect love of God that offers true fulfillment.

Have you struggled with feeling loved? Is there a void in your life that you are laboring to fill? Is there something better than human effort? Have you ever considered the love of the Trinity? If this is a new concept, have no fear, you are in good company! Several years ago I  read a book called Delighting In The Trinity by Michael Reeves. Biblical and historical references are given to easily understand the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our Triune God. Christianity is the only worldview that holds to this picture of God.

A Trinity from before the beginning of time—God. Always sharing, always a part of the other, always loving. God is not some dictator standing over us waiting for us to mess up as some religions teach. He is, and has always been, a loving God. Mr. Reeves explains that for this to be possible, God must have had someone to eternally love; the object of this eternal love being the Son through the Spirit. “John Calvin once wrote that if we try to think about God without thinking about the Father, Son and Spirit, only the bare and empty name of God flits about in our brains to the exclusion of the true God.”[1]

God is the loving Father, who sent His Son to die for our sins thus becoming our Savior. The Savior, in turn, sent the Holy Spirit to us after His resurrection giving us guidance and comfort. Although the word Trinity is not in the Bible, many scriptures give evidence for each member of the God Head; the Ultimate Family Team.  “By the Spirit uniting me to Christ, the Father knows and loves me as His Son; by the Spirit I begin to know and love Him as my Father.” [2] John wrote “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1a, NIV). Wow! Let that sink in.

Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.” (Jn 15:9). Let’s take a journey through the life of Jesus and see just how He loved. He healed, He fed, He comforted, and He raised the dead. He reminded us of Old Testament Scriptures, He stood up for truth and was not shy about giving timely, appropriate correction. We see this most clearly when He stated to Peter, “Get behind me Satan”, in Mark 8:33. He prayed for us, He died for us, and then left us with the gift of the Spirit. These last 3 things He did specifically for you and me. Centuries before you were born, He prayed for you! John 17:20 records that prayer, “My prayer is not for them alone [apostles], I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You” (NIV). That’s you and me! God the Son prayed for you and me!! I cannot tell you how many times I have read John’s gospel, but as I read this verse in the book by Mr. Reeves, I was taken back by it. Surely that wasn’t in the Bible the last time I read it. Oh, but it was! And now we have a clear idea of how the Father loves.  Like Father, Like Son.

Many fathers and mothers have had difficulty showing true love to their children. It can be an inter-generational problem, or due to other things such as substance use or cycles of domestic violence. If you are one of those who have experienced these hardships, my heart goes out to you! Dear reader, God is bigger and better than any of your hardships; He offers an outstretched hand to you. He cannot love you any more or less than He does now. I encourage you to find a trusted friend, clergy member or pastor to help you walk through this healing process.

As we go about our daily routine, my prayer is that you remember that you don’t have to hunt for the love of God like you are hunting for Easter eggs or buried treasures.  His love is given freely. In fact, Jesus says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” Rev 3:20 (NIV). Opening this door certainly leads to freedom and life eternal!

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[1]Reeves, M. “Delighting In The Trinity”, pg. 38

[2]Ibid., pg. 96