Love is a Paradox

Love is a paradox. Bouncing off of the topic of my last article “Love is Expensive” we made the discovery that love is finite; essentially meaning it is measurable, you can love much or a little or even not love at all. Love has limits and bounds and this makes its nature finite and precious. But as this article title suggests, there is a paradox. This is because love is also eternal.

paradox

noun
“the paradox of war is that you have to kill people in order to stop people from killing each other: contradiction, contradiction in terms, self-contradiction, inconsistency, incongruity; oxymoron; conflict, anomaly; enigma, puzzle, mystery, conundrum.”

Finite and eternal are two very conflicting words and yet both are true to the nature of love. Let’s continue the deconstruct of the nature of love with this idea in mind: “If I acknowledge that love is precious, valuable, and costs a great price, I can more highly appreciate and value the love shown me.”

So lets dive into the other side of this paradox.

Love is eternal. It crosses the dimension of earth and heaven. Paul said it this way “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8) This makes love one of the most valuable things on earth. Now, I like and value knowledge very much, but knowledge doesn’t make the cut when it comes to eternity. In fact, just a few sentences prior to “Love never ends” Paul says this: “if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2)

Love never ends, and I’ve gained nothing without it.

This makes love the highest form of exchange. I liken it to a cross-national currency. It’s value is not only in this present nation (earth) but its also valued in the nation to come (eternity). It’s value does not depreciate. Love is so highly valued that the writer of the Song of Solomon states that, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.” (Song of Solomon 8:7)

It is a fools errand to think that I can buy love.

These observations define for us the true value of love; love is finite, making it precious; and love is eternal, making it very valuable. In light of these things, this places an even higher value upon love’s recipient. A heart that has experienced much love can realize it’s eternal worth.

So why haven’t I discovered “my eternal worth”?

to be continued…
PART THREE: Love is a Choice

To forget

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:12-14

Paul a mature believer and personal “hero of the faith”, finds himself as not perfect; However, by faith he is able to take part in the love of God because of the work of Christ. He says he does one thing: to forget. To forget that which was achieved in vein, to forget the value that sin once held. Instead he pushes forward…building his trust in Christ, and beginning to know who he is.

My thoughts led me this morning to Paul’s call, to check our faith and find it to be true. My faith is not to be found within my own strength or my achievements of the past. My faith calls me to forget those sinful things and all their false worth. My faith calls me to rely, to ask for, to realize the need for the strength found in the Spirit of God. This day I know God as a helper, a counsellor and strength giver.

Thank you Lord, for I can rely on you…your gentle voice leading me towards nights of peace. Help me to forget that which was lost and vein…help me to continually look for your strength.
Amen

The grace of being

Scripture)
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vein.
-1 Corinthians 15:9-10

Observation)
Paul having committed great offenses towards God, still accesses the gift of grace that we all do as sons and daughters of royalty through Christ. Found unworthy and the least likely to even enter into the Kingdom, we see that Christ turns the table to bring His agenda of healing and grace to a twisted heart. In this Paul is able to stand on what he knows is true, and further more knowing the truth of God enabling him to make the profound statement: “I am what I am.”

Application)
I need to hold tightly to who I was created to be, not only holding on to my creation but my renewed person, fully accessing the grace given to me. If I do indeed step into the reality of grace, I like Paul make a statement of validity: “his grace toward me was not in vein.” I am what I am through the grace of God and there will be no change nor compromise to set me against this stance…though it is a choice I must make daily.

Prayer)
Lord, help me see what you see and help me to live in a reality of grace towards others. Give me confidence to know that I am what I am because of who you are.
Amen