Price you pay

Interesting but true: to a person, I can say without doubt what we really want most out of life is to be loved. Just-as-we-are. And the Bible reminds us, “God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1John 4:16b BSB)

Since that is true, then what we really want – and really need – is God’s love. Want to know how to love someone well? Read how Jesus loved. Want to know how to love even your enemies? Read what Jesus said on the matter. Want to be loved? Abide in God. When it feels like no one loves you, SOMEONE does. No matter what.

There is, however, a bit of a catch with human love. Sometimes it’s conditional – on our part and theirs. Who of us hasn’t loved someone and then they make us mad, or betray us, or hurt us in some way? Then we kind of pull back on our love. And human love can be heart soaring as well as heartbreaking. From smashed fists of flowers for mom, to “I do” for a lover, to “It’s a boy/girl” – these loves make our hearts full and at times can make them ache.

A sermon I heard recently by Alistair Begg touched on the depths of love. How it reaches our very souls. He made a statement that stopped me in my tracks: “Grief is the price you pay for love.”

Any of us who have lived long enough know that to be true. Love is risky. All kinds of grief can accompany it. You can name the ones you’ve experienced. But the hardest one is death – the final parting of love. Leaving a longing, a hole that cannot be filled.

As risky as love is, we still long for it. The highs and lows are part of life. A life free from heartache is a life free from love. And in the end, that’s not much of a life.

When Jesus died those who loved Him thought it was the end. A huge hole was left, or so they thought. But just a few days later, He filled in that hole by telling them “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b NLT)

So, when we decide to let Jesus be the main love of our life, then all the other loves and their heartaches are part of the beauty of earth life. He is our promise that when this life ends, we get to spend eternity in the presence of Love itself – and with all our believing loved ones who went on before us. Only then there is no longer any risk, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4 NLT)