Devotional--Love, Part II

Romans 5:1-11

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
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  Ever heard of a show called The Bachelorette?  It's on after Jeopardy, and every now and again Rachel and I would watch the first five or ten minutes of it, because I find it amazing.  In short, a woman falls in love with four or five guys and then decides to marry one of them.  Shockingly, the relationships don't last once the happy couple return to 'real' life.

  It's easy to love someone when life is all puppies and rainbows and butterflies.  It's easy to be in love when TV shows are paying for your vacation in Tahiti.  When real life hits, though, and bills are overdue and the kids are screaming and the A/C breaks, it's harder to be in love.  It's a test of our love--a very, very trying test, sometimes.

  God proves his love for us time and time again, and God does so by pouring out his love for us in the exact times when we may deserve it least.  While we were still sinners, Paul writes, Christ died for us.  Not when we looked great and were living right and making good choices--but in the midst of our broken, human sin, Christ came and died for us.

  God loves you, even when you are weak and broken, even though you may not feel worthy of God's love.  He proves this time and time again, setting an example for us to follow--to love at all times, especially when it isn't easy, because that's the proof of the depth of our love.  Will we still love when the going gets tough?

Blessings