God’s Love and Christian Life - Part 1

“(7) Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.”

Saint Augustine once stated, “The deepest desire of every human heart is to be seen and to see another in that same way.” Every human being desires to be seen and loved for who we truly are. We long for someone to see our hopes and fears, our beliefs and values, our gifts, and shortcomings, and to embrace all of these things without ridiculing us or, worse yet, rejecting us. We want someone who is willing to walk with us on this tough life journey and who is committed to holding us close, especially when difficulties and tragedies arise. We crave a relationship with someone who sees our true selves and, instead of demeaning us for our faults, cares enough to help us overcome these weaknesses and to become even better than we might have been on our own.

At its very root, this desire goes further than seeing another person more completely. Ultimately, it draws us towards discovering our Creator Who already loves us in this way and from Whom we received this sense of longing. Saint Augustine also said, “Our souls are restless, until they rest in You, Oh Lord.”  In the beginning of creation when God made man and woman, He blew His very breath, His very love, into the heart and soul of both of them (Gen. 2:7). God’s love is at the core of each human being, giving us life, worth, and meaning. Since we have the love of God in us, we feel driven to share it with others. This is how God’s love works; because He freely gives it to us, we must also share it with others. Since the fall of man, it is that love of God which we are all longing to rediscover.

ACTION STEP: This week, see your beloved as a gift of God, made in His image and likeness. With that view in mind, thank God and your spouse for the gift your spouse is to you.