I Didn't Sign Up for This!

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18 ESV).

Today’s devotional is not about marriage and divorce. I can talk to you about that personally if you like. It is more about how we view our circumstance and the call to be a part of the community of faith. Toward the end of Mary’s stay in the hospital after her surgery, she said, “I know you didn’t sign up for this, but thank you.” I confess I said the same thing to her as she did to me when she tended my bedside after some of my more extensive surgeries. My answer was simple: “Sure, I did. I signed on when we got married.” Today I want us to look at a different relationship. We have a similar relationship with Christ through faith. The Scripture talks about Jesus being the groom and the faithful being the bride. So, in fact, we have a marriage contract that we have affirmed through faith. In the final days before his death, Jesus talked a lot about sacrificial love. Those words seem very lofty and elevated. It’s hard for many of us to imagine having to lay down our lives in love. But the words of our reading today bring those words down to the hard reality of a hurting world. John repeats Jesus’ words about laying down our lives for one another; then he guides us out into the mean streets of our cities, into the shabby homes of the poor, into the shoes of a discouraged church member who has lost his job. Here is the test of love. How do we respond to a real person in need? If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother or sister in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? It’s easy to turn away from the needy. We’re busy. We’re already stretched. We’re not sure how we can help. Besides, maybe the person brought it on himself. Still, true love gives birth to pity. We must not forget that when God looks at us in our need, tough he could justifiably turn away, he responds with love and grace. He feels pity, compassion, mercy, and love for us in our need. And on the cross he loved us with actions and in truth. The wisdom of the cross shows us how love saves the needy. There cannot be a greater example of this love than what Jesus has already done for us. He died the death we deserved, and paid the debt would could never pay. So, did you sign up for the hard stuff of life? If you are a believer, the answer is “yes.” Use this season of Lent to deepen your love!