Extravagance part 4
Here's a question, and an answer. "Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravangant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out" (Romans 11:33 MSG). We've never come on anything quite like this extravagant love of God. We haven't. We can't have. Because there is nothing like this extravagant love of God. It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. It's too big. It's too good. It's the knowledge that passes knowledge. It's heart knowledge rather than head knowledge. It's experiential knowledge. God has loved us. We have experienced it. And because of that we can release what we've received. But we'll never fully have a total and complete grasp on it. It's too big. It's too amazing. The whole point of this everlasting, eternal, abundant, Resurrection Life is a never-ending life long journey into the heart of the matter. And the heart of the matter is the heart. God's heart beating with love in our chests. It's the power of God working in us that equips and empowers us to experience His life of love as He lives it Himself in us, and through us, and as us. It's the best thing going. The best thing there is. It's way over our heads and we'll never figure it out because it's too good to be true. It's a love that never fails, no matter what. A love that withstands everything we could ever put it through. A love that endures. A love that is, quite frankly, extravagant. A love that God has lavished upon us (whether we deserve it or not because deserve has nothing to do with it) in order to fill us up to overflowing so that it can come out of us. Naturally. So that no matter what happens, we can let the love that's inside of us come out of us. So that we can make sure to live a life worthy of the sacrifice Jesus made when He gave it (His life) for us and to us. And I'm not saying you should do it because you feel obligated. Not at all. I'm saying you should do it because it's in your heart to do it. I'm saying you should do it because you're so full of God's love that it comes out. Filling ourselves to overflowing with that love that we have been loved with by letting God love us. That is such an important part of this "Christian walk" or whatever you want to call it. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. So you have to know (and believe) that you have something. You have to know what you have in order to give what you've got. God's love for us is the whole point of the whole thing. That's why He created us--He wanted to express Himself to us, and in us, and through us, and as us. He wanted us to know Him and by known by Him. I think a lot of our problems in this life come from misunderstandings. We feel like people don't get us, and we need to defend ourselves. But, like I said in the Rnat about the shield--sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Loving people whether they "get us" or not. Giving what we've got without worrying about whatever else. The wisdom of God is the ultimate truth of the universe: God is love and He loves you. That's where it starts, that's where it ends, and that's everything in between. It's all about love. The extravagant, limitless, endless, unconditional love of God!