So very true in 2 different ways!While this quote is directed to humans, when I read it the Lord spoke wonders to my heart.
Many do not understand that as children of God we must rest in His love, too. Holy Love for each of us is not earned by grand works on earth, money given to churches and charities, how well we do in school, nor how perfectly we can do all things. Resting in Divine love is a deep, true love within to be lived without.
It is never based upon conditions. Conditions for love to be given and/or received alludes to shallow interpretations, guesswork, and, many times, shaming, transfer of guilt, manipulative behaviors, or used as punishment to be taken away if noncompliance occurs. Humanity tends to place conditions on everything in life from rewards, job promotions, relationship success to withholding love as a form of discipline by shunning, ignoring, or angry mannerisms. Love should not be a factor here, only the behavior. Stop choosing the easy way out of handling hard issues. Positioning for love has created a messy, confused world.
At the heart of this matter lies the difference between superficial love and resting in a love so deeply felt that behaviors, decisions, actions, and words are changed simply because it’s the right thing to do. Yes, this is hard, time consuming, gut wrenching, yet, Jesus spent His life loving imperfect humans, unconditionally, leading to His ultimate sacrifice for love. Humans haven’t changed over the course of time. We still try to mandate love thousands of years later.
Have we learned nothing from Jesus’ teaching on how to live together on earth? God’s love for us is not based on perfection. We will always be imperfect. Holy knows that and loves us through our mistakes, wrong behavior, bad decisions, fake belief, and ungrateful attitudes, always. If we aren’t resting in His love we are clueless to this love and choose to live according to worldly standards. When we rest in His unconditional love, we can then transfer that unconditional love out into our families, the difficult children, the unsaved world. This does not mean excusing bad behavior. It means not using love as a judgement tool to discipline, seek change, teach responsibility, or abuse power.
Working for love should never be the option. Find your rest in God’s love. It gets you through the hardest times of life and enables you to love others unconditionally.
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14