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Can you remember any of the games you used to play as a child? No, I am not talking about jump rope, hide and seek, or tag. Neither am I thinking of Pong, Atari, or Nintendo. I have other types of games in mind.
Perhaps you remember that girl or boy who lived just down the street when you were growing up. You know, the one you had a crush on and who would tease you with his or her affections. Since you were never sure of this person’s real intentions, you had to try to divine them through various games.
The most common such game involves a flower and intense concentration. Sitting outside, you pluck one petal at a time while reciting: “She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me. She loves me not. . .” Be careful or you might pluck two petals at once! Look out, you might pick too fast! Doing either could ruin the predictive properties of the flower.
I hate to admit it, but I still play that game sometimes. This time, however, the subject of my questioning is different. This time it is God.
My problem is that I often walk by sight and not by faith in the promises of God for His elect. Thus, I sometimes think God’s love is shown exclusively in how well my life is going on a particular day. Some days are encouraging. An effective time of ministry, an unexpected gift, or a day free from car problems proves that God loves me. Then there are other days. An engine that overheats, a difficult quiz, or personal conflicts bring doubts regarding God’s love. I might even say that He loves me not.
Walking by sight is often simpler than the alternative. Becoming focused on only what can be seen with your eyes is very tempting. The Scriptural promises that often go unseen make trusting more difficult.
I cannot always believe that there is absolutely nothing, not even myself, that can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:38–39). Even as a Christian, I like to think my sin can separate me from the love of Christ. That is why it is even harder sometimes to believe that while I was still a sinner, God loved me enough to send His Son to die for me (Rom. 5:8).
I get uncomfortable learning what this love requires of me. Sometimes I do not want to demonstrate my love for Christ by keeping His commandments (John 14:15). Sometimes I do not want to believe that my love for God exists only because He loved me first (1 John 4:19).
Thankfully, we do not have to guess at God’s love. He already has revealed His love for the elect in His Son Christ Jesus. Instead of playing games, perhaps we should mediate on the gift of God’s love revealed in the Scriptures. In His love, He has spoken of His love, loud and clear.