Graceline: Trust is critical to really love

Age has a way of mellowing you out. I don’t get near as bent out of shape about stuff that doesn’t matter. It’s sinking into my hard head that only one thing really matters. Jesus said so Himself.

As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed Him and made Him feel at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word He said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them.

“Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”

The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it – it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” (Luke 10:38-42 MSG)

A renown theologian was once asked the greatest revelation he had gleaned from all his years of study.

He smiled and said, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” That is the only essential – allowing God to love us unconditionally so that we can love Him back and love one another. “We love Him because He first loved us.” (I John 4:19)

What does it mean to love someone unconditionally? I know in my heart that God loves me unconditionally, but my mind has a difficult time wrapping itself around that concept. No human being is capable of loving another person unconditionally all the time. We may have a glimpse now and then, and may even do it ourselves, but we don’t have what it takes to sustain that kind of love. Only God is love.

The deciding factor is trust. The world’s love is conditional. I cannot let another person, or even God, love me unless I trust them. People who are unable to trust God will never experience unconditional love.

Love transforms people. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. God demonstrates His love for us by entering our world and being empathetic with us. He is the only one who truly knows how I feel. He understands. God is the only one who can fix me.

We could take advantage of His goodness and grace and go wild. God knows grace is risky business, but He also knows trust comes only through unconditional love and grace.

Grace is what God does for us. He wants to do everything for us, but He cannot if we don’t trust Him. Nothing else would really matters, does it?

This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Graceline: Trust is critical to really love."