Vulnerability: The Risk We All Take When We Love Someone

Bruce:   How do you make people love you without affecting Free Will?
God:  Welcome to my world, son. If you come up with an answer to that one, let me know. From the movie "Bruce Almighty"

"I'm going to make you love me."  Morris to Apollonia in the movie "Purple Rain"

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." From the song "Nature Boy."

I wanted a guarantee that when I loved someone, that someone would love me.

But I had no such guarantee, except from God, who is love, who first loved me, who loved me when I was His enemy.

Love is vulnerability.
Risk.

So be it.
It's worth it.

God regretted making people before He flooded the world.
Think about that.

Think of pouring your heart and soul into someone, knowing  in advance that before you gave him your all, he would spit in your face.  And, knowing what would happen, you give him your all anyway.

Jesus came into the world He made, to the people over whom He'd be king, and was rejected, spit on, and crucified like the worst criminal.

This was God's defining act of love for us. 
He couldn't give any more than He gave when He gave His Son, and later on, His Spirit.

Everyday we spit in God's face.
But He loves us.
He takes the risk.

His calling in our lives is to take the risk with Him.
To love people as He's loved us.
Unconditionally.
Graciously.
Mercifully.
Forgivingly.

The next time you feel hurt, tell the person that hurt you how you feel.
Not in anger or vengeance or with attitude.  But with sincerity and vulnerability.

"I really wanted you to call me back.  I was waiting by the phone and would have picked it up on the first ring.  When you didn't call back, I was disappointed and hurt.  I felt like I wanted to connect with you more than you wanted to connect with me."

You may get hurt even more.
The person may apologize, but be lying.
Or she may sincerely regret hurting you and cry real tears of remorse, never hurting you again.

You don't know.  Love is a risk.
God knows.  He takes the risk anyway...with me...and with you.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  1 John 4:10

 

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8

 

God is love.  1 John 4:16b