Hidden part 2
I mentioned yesterday that our love is sometimes hidden underneath all of the stuff that the world--and we ourselves, if we're being honest about it--pile up on top. But look at Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." So let's look at it through that frame of mind. Maybe instead of blaming the world for everything that happens (or even blaming ourselves, but trust me... I know how easy that is to do), maybe we can see the bigger picture. The grand scheme. Maybe the hidden man of the heart was hidden for a reason. Maybe, well, let me say it this way: "And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the thresingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekles of silver" (2 Samuel 24:24). And, listen, I'm NOT saying we need to work for what we get. I'm saying when we go through things we learn and grow. Its a maturation process. Sometimes you have to go through this to get to that. Sometimes you have to search out a matter in order to really appreciate it. And sometimes its not about the destination. Sometimes its the journey. Learning to love by learning how we are loved. By letting God love us. And loving Him back with that love... by loving people. Its the glory of God to conceal Himself in us. Its our honor to seach out the matter by letting Him reveal what He hid IN us.. to us, and through us, and as us. I know this might seem tricky. Because we know that its all about receiving and releasing. Receiving by releasing. Releasing by receiving. So when David was talking about how he wasn't going to sacrifice something that didn't cost him anything... the cost isn't works and labor. The cost is putting in the effort of building relationships with people. And I mean, there's a way to love people that you don't know. Everybody needs food. Everybody needs warm clothes when its cold. And that's nothing to sneer at. Those basic human needs that are common to us all still need to be met. But there's an ever deeper level. Things that only you can do. To people that only you can reach. But if you don't pay the cost to uncover what is hidden... listen, everybody is going through stuff. And sometimes that stuff makes them irritable, or sad, or angry, or bitter. And then they lash out. And that can be a big turnoff. When you reach your hand out and someone slaps it away... kind of makes you want to quit reaching your hand out. But the people who are the hardest to love are the people who need love the most. Because someone probably DID reach out to them, probably did get slapped away, and probably decided not to reach out again. So if nobody (including you) is reaching out to them... then they aren't getting what they need. They're giving what they've got (the hurt, bitterness, sadness, whatever) but they aren't getting the mercy, and grace, and love. So pay the cost. Put in the effort. Search out a matter. Get in there and find out what they need. What they really need. And then meet that need. What's hidden will always come to light, but sometimes it takes a little effort. Love is maximum effort!