Signs of God's Love

Too often we think that blessings are a sign of God's love for us. Falling in love, marriage, having babies, being healthy, growing old, mental stability, a family that stays together, children that love the Lord become proof, evidence of God's love that quickly become twisted into evidence that we are WORTHY of God's love.

And that is a dangerous idea. Because it makes us prideful and judgmental. It makes us look at our life in comparison with others. If blessings in my life prove that I am worthy of God's love - than does the person with more blessings from my perspective have proof that they are more worthy of God's love?

I've been realizing that I so easily look at my friends - who have their husbands still (young and healthy and active husbands might I add) and I feel less than. Less loved by God. Less worthy of blessing. I wonder why me? What did I do that God decided mine would be the path of suffering (with so many blessings mixed in of course) and theirs would be the path of blessing with just a sprinkling of suffering?

Why did my husband have ARVC and suffer for 14 years and die at age 35?

Why was it hard to get pregnant and we only were given one child while others can't seem to stop getting pregnant?

Why is my wonderful friend single and so many less "worthy" women married?

Why does my son have to grow up without his daddy?

Why couldn't my cousin get pregnant?

Why does it take some people years to get enough support to get on the field as missionaries?

Why did that sweet missionary couple lose a baby?

The dangerous thought that goes through my head is: we are less loved. We did something to deserve the suffering. Others deserved to suffer more but aren't. This is unjust.

It all starts with that seed of an idea: blessings are a sign of God's love.

That's actually true. They are. But the Bible tells us that God blesses the just AND the unjust:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. - Matthew 5:43-48

And that verse is sandwiched between Jesus telling us to love our enemies too. It would seem from verse 48 (and I need to learn more about this to make sure) that part of God's perfection is that he loves his enemies, not just those who love him.

And when we step back we remember that we were ALL his enemies. Every single one of us. Born with our firsts up to Heaven, rejecting God until he came and rescued us and made his his children. He loved us first. Then we loved him (very imperfectly) in return.

So God's blessings are a sign of us love - but that love is for enemies and children alike. They are not a sign that he loves some of us more than others. For that to be true, then his greatest purpose for us would have to be a trouble-free life here on earth.

But once again the Bible tells us something different:

"And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness".

- Hebrews 12:5-10

His greatest purpose for us is holiness. He disciplines us for our good - our greatest good. A trouble-free life is not a sign of God's love. For the believer, trouble is. Because trouble and suffering change us. Reveal idols. Reveal sin. Draw us closer to God. Reveal our dependence. Make us hold this world more loosely. Force us to think of those things which really matter. Make eternity real. Make life less sweet.

God's love can be seen in our blessings. But there's a unique way in which it can be seen in our suffering too. We can look through the cloud of suffering to our Father who tenderly loves us, shapes us, and brings us home to him.