If indeed we are to love as Jesus loved, we will pay a price as well. For the truest of loves, is a costly love. It willingly lays aside all selfish desire for the good of the beloved. Always seeking their needs, their enrichment, and laying aside our own. Oh, there are moments perhaps that we humans can achieve that. However, always? That requires more than this human heart can achieve in its own strength. Yet, Jesus Christ demonstrated for us what a costly love looks like. Furthermore, He has promised to be there in us to guide us to that place of perfect love in Him and through His mighty power within us. Beyond that, He has promised that all the pain, sorrow and suffering that true love may bring, it is worth it in the end; because, of the joy that we shall find there.
WHAT IS COSTLY LOVE?
We all understand what C. S. Lewis ascribes in His book The Four Loves regarding the vulnerability and pain love may bring. Regarding love,
“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.
But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”[1]
Certainly, we would consider that costly love; because our hearts can be vulnerable and thereby breakable. But what I mean by costly love goes much further than that.
The True Cost of Costly Love
To love like Christ loves, as He commanded His apostles in John 13:34. “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
How did Christ love? If we are to imitate Him, we must see how He loved them. He loved them when they were foolish, the same as when they got it right. (More often were they foolish than right). He ever so gently guided them to see and know the truth. Patiently, gently He cared for them; although, He knew perfectly when to allow them to stumble that they might learn to walk boldly. Furthermore, He humbly served them, never placing His physical needs above theirs. He loved them when they were at their worst and with compassion guided them to become their best in Him, through faith. Also, He lived the example for them both in His devotion to prayer and obedience to the Father.
Then, came the ultimate act of costly love. He died that they might be saved. Bearing the full brunt of the penalty due us, He laid down His life that we might gain ours.
“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commandeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:7-9).
We are also commanded to “take up our cross daily to follow Him” (Luke 9:23). Our cross is to die to self, that He might live through us. God desires to “perfect” us in love.
The Greatest Treasure to be Found
Dying to self is the only way to learn to truly love. Indeed, true love is a costly love; however, it is so worth finding. Only there can we rise above the circumstances and trials of this life, to soar on wings like eagles with God’s breath supporting and guiding our flight. Therein, we find His abiding, steadfast joy no matter how difficult the circumstance or how fragile our hearts may feel. Then, one day when we stand before Him, we will know just how great a treasure we have found.
“When we see the face of God we shall know that we have always known it. He has been a party to, has made, sustained and moved moment by moment within, all our earthly experiences of innocent love. All that was true love in them was, even on earth, far more His than ours, and ours only because His. In Heaven there will be no anguish and no duty of turning away from our earthly Beloveds. First, because we shall have turned already; from the portraits to the Original, from the rivulets to the Fountain, from the creatures He made loveable to Love Himself. But secondly, because we shall find them all in Him. By loving Him more than them we shall love them more than we now do.” C. S. Lewis[2]
Ah, but I daresay the same is true here on earth. I cannot truly love another with a Christ like love; until, I grasp the truth of God’s love. Yes, true love is a costly love; but, it is well worth the cost-whatever that may be.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. Because there is nothing more important than this, I urge you to seek Him today.
ARE YOU IN OF NEED PRAYER?
If you have a prayer request email me by clicking here
Or if you would like to tell me your story or thoughts comment here
For previous posts regarding God’s love
Lessons of Love From the Heart of a Child
What does Agape Love Really Look Like?
5 Lessons from God regarding Loving like Jesus
Being Rooted and Grounded in the Magnitude of God’s Love
Or for poetry
Out of the Ashes
To Be Made Perfect in Love
Do You Want to Know the Secret to Abiding Steadfast Joy?
ABIDING, STEADFAST JOY
A labor of love, this book provides you with 3 foundations of truth from the scripture which once known will provide you with abiding, steadfast joy. Undaunted by the storms of life; your joy will overflow.
WHEN INJUSTICE AND VIOLENCE REIGN:
Through a study of Nahum, Habukkuk, and Zephaniah; I brought their message into our modern times. Answering the questions of “Why, God?”
Providing a foundation of faith and hope; even, as we see so much evil in the world and in our nation. With so much sorrow and despair, this book I wrote to guide you into discovering God’s Perfect Plan of love; amid this chaotic world filled with life’s storms.
You may click on the picture for more information on either of these books.
ANOTHER Book Available
You can find this and all my books on Amazon.com, search Effie Darlene Barba or click this link to be taken there
OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE
If you want to know more about other books I have written: You can read more about each one at: Book Resources.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2018
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Footnotes and Credits
Picture creation by Ronin Ron Custom Art the words I added.
[1] C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves, (1960), in The Beloved Works of C.S. Lewis, (Edison, NJ: Inspirational Press, 2004)., 278-279.
[2] C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves, (1960), in The Beloved Works of C.S. Lewis, (Edison, NJ: Inspirational Press, 2004)., 288.
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