I love boxes. In fact, I love any sort of organizational instrument that helps keep my life appear less cluttered. I have a compartment for everything: responsibilities, my job, friends and relationships, dreams, today, Jesus, etc. I guess I like being able to label where things go by category and how they work. Some are categorized by order of importance or by how much time is involved. Once things are where I want them, I close the lid and place the box on my shelf, until one of the contents is needed.
The more I read my Bible, the more I realize that I don’t know Who God is. I think I do, but when it comes down to it, the cold hard truth is that I have put God in my little box of pre-determined ideas. Like, I want to know God, but only to the extent and context of what I already believe. I know that God is Love, so I slap a label on Him and tuck Him away, never really allowing myself to experience and explore the depths of His un-quenching passion and love for me, simply because I feel content just to know.
God isn’t meant to be kept in a box, yet He is willing to stay. This is something else that I don’t understand. God is all-powerful; the heavens tremble when He speaks. He is Creator; I am here and have life simply because He spoke. He holds the balance of life and death in the palm of His hand. He could easily speak a flame-thrower into existence and melt down the sides of the box, or maybe just teleport out of it, or use some sort of forcefield. But He doesn’t. He desires my heart so much that He is willing to humble Himself and sit in my box until I’m ready to open it. Who does that?
I asked some friends of mine how they would describe God’s love using only one word. They came up with a whole bunch of great descriptions: ”powerful”, ”fierce”, ”passionate” but the only thing that I can think of is “senseless”. There is no reason why God should love me, why He should pursue me. It doesn’t make sense that He would die for me even before He knew my love. It’s beyond what I am able to comprehend in my logical, natural thought. In fact, it’s totally absurd.
~Ephesians 3:18,19~
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to fully understand.”
~Romans 5:8~
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
I’m tired of being content (a.k.a. complacent) with this kind of relationship. I want to have the same kind of senseless love for God that He has for me.
The lid is off. God, I’m not afraid to love You. I don’t want to just know that You love me, though I am thankful for the knowledge. But I want to experience Your love to the fullest extent that I can handle. Tear down my ideas, my limitations, my pre-conceived notions of Who You are. Reveal Yourself to me. Shatter the box.
