Humbling Love [Devotional 002]

There are few things more humbling than the unmerited grace and unconditional love that we are given by God.

It’s nearly impossible for our puny human minds to comprehend this agape style love that remains with us no matter our circumstances. How many of us have stopped and asked ourselves, “How is this even possible? How can an all powerful, all knowing, infinite being possibly love me as I am right now?” I find myself asking this question quite often, and seemingly each time I ponder this question, I find myself falling into the idea that I can do more. I know deep down that I can give more to God, that in some areas of my own life I can ascend the mythical ladder higher into God’s favor by my own works and actions in order to reach the pinnacle of his love for me. But as these thoughts creep their way into my mind, as they so often do, I am humbly reminded that our Lord and Savior loves me for who I am right now. Matt Chandler beautifully delivers this idea. "God does not love some future version of you. Let me repeat that… God does NOT love some future version of you." He doesn’t love the you in three months that has re-devoted your life to him anymore than he loves you now. He doesn’t love the you of the past who used to religiously spend time in his word every single morning until life rolled around, and inconsistency crept in. He loves you now. How can this possibly be? What kind of love is this? 

I think the trap that I run into in my own life, and so many others in theirs, is that we try to cram God into our finite little world that is bound solely by father time and the tick-tock of a clock signifying our past, present, and future. We want to believe that God exists in a realm also bound by this component of time, because this would give us the ability to earn favor in his eyes. Lets step back and think about this for just one second. When we break our lives down to the bear bones, everything we do is bound by time…even our love for those around us. Lets look at an example, if my neighbor sins against me, and I, in my flesh, decide that I am going to love them less, the only way that I can possibly love them less is if I compare my prior love for them in the past to my now newfound, lesser, love for them now. Or shall we view the other way, say I walk out of my house today and a neighbor decides that he will partake in the doing of a good deed on my behalf. Again, in my flesh, this may help him gain favor, but the only way that this is possible is if I compare my lesser love for him in the past to the greater love I have now found in him.

 So I pose the question… If God is beyond the realm of time, and is truly infinite, how then could he possibly love us anymore in the past or future than he does right now in the present? God is SO beyond this idea that we have in our mind of a past, present, and future God. He is living in the now because that is all he knows. Everything is now for him. As CS Lewis puts it in his book Mere Christianity,

“Suppose God is outside and above the Time-line [of our lives]. In that case, what we call ‘tomorrow’ is visible to Him in just the same way as what we call ‘today’. All the days are ‘Now’ for Him. He does not remember you doing things yesterday; He simply sees you doing them, because, though you have lost yesterday, He has not. He does not ‘foresee’ you doing things tomorrow; He simply sees you doing them: because, though tomorrow is not yet there for you, it is for Him.”

So take heart… because the very creator of the universe… he loves you, and he loves you right now. So as you read this, I invite you to go out, humbled by the idea that you are completely and utterly loved for who you are. Do not let this unending love produce stagnancy, but rather let is inspire you. Let it motivate you to not work to earn favor in the eyes of God, but to work to be a light in this world of darkness, so that others may become aware of this all encompassing love that we have been so undeservedly given. Show the world what it is like to be completely loved by the very life that you choose to live day in, and day out. Keep being bright.

Quinn Rivera // Humbled Daily Co-founder, doctor in training and aspiring professional lover of life.
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3 comments

  • Quinn, I “stumbled” on this website somehow, but i’m so glad I discovered it. I’m also not enthusiastic about reading. I do my devotionals and thats about all the reading I do. However, I started reading this devotional, which I usually only read the first paragraph for most, but I kept going. I’m so glad I did. One thing I struggle with in my Christian faith is feeling I disappoint God or even I am a hypocrite. I feel some days I live a double life, one life of being a solid christian guy, and the other life of being a addicted ruined human being. I say this because I struggle with lust. I’m married yet I still struggle. It is like a roller coaster to me. Whenever I fall into sin I think two things, 1. i’m a failure, 2. I will be better tomorrow, this month, this year, etc. A part of me thinking these has to do with me thinking God will love me when I become better with my sins. This article was great for me though because it reminded me that God loves me now. Not just in the future and the past.

    Angelo
  • Quinn, such an awesome devotional! To be comforted by the fact that God’s love is steadfast, just the like the Psalmist says over and over, is so precious! He loves me dearly for who I am now. My mistakes I’ve made do not make me loved less, but rather His grace is showered so plentifully over me. Thank you for your devo!

    Caleb Pitman
  • Quinn, thank you for writing such a beautiful devotional to God’s eternal love and grace he gives us without fail. I am grateful for the reassurance, especially this time of year when things tend to get extra busy and crazy. We are all truly blessed.
    Juli

    Juli Hinze

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