I have loved you...

'The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. '

Jeremiah 31:3

https://my.bible.com/bible/111/JER.31.3

Reflecting over recent times and my own faith journey; I am not sure about you but I go through seasons where I am serious about my faith and then there are times where I would struggle to pray. I am not going to say everything is rosy and I am always on a high about faith. Seriously there are days, looking back in hindsight, that I deserve a good smack over the head. So how did I get to the place I am now, where a day without prayer just doesn't feel right. It is like going for a day without talking to your partner, it just hurts. Honesty I don't know but one thing I have realised.

As people, we want to change people. We want to influence and get them to change their views or habits, for the good and otherwise. I like to say that the motive is always love or for their benefit, but sometimes if we are honest with ourselves, it is for ourselves too. But it is something that I can't understand, something they do that ignores me or I am just in the mood to flex my muscles and show who is boss?

My normal approach (on a good day) is to sit them down and talk to them, trying to convince them to see my way; by telling them what they have done wrong, what is right thing to do. And if they don't listen, convince them harder and Harder and Louder and LOUDER!!! Try to force them to see my ideas and ways. Why? Because I am always right! NOT! Maybe it is just me and no one else does it.

But in recent times, I notice that God takes a very different tack to me (Surprise right? Ok, not so surprising).  When I convince someone (adult or child) my way, the person may come to accept it; may I actually got through to them, or may be it was out of fear or they just want to me to stop yelling. May be they accept it, but it DOESN'T CHANGE them. It is only a temporary measure and soon they forget. It is not their fault, but mine because I don't loved them enough to take the time to show them HOW to go from where they are to a new level.

God takes a different road to me. This verse in the book of Jeremiah has always been one of my favorite verse, but it is only recently am I starting to understand how powerful it is. See you, God doesn't want me to have a temporal change, but He wants to be grow and mature into the man He has made me to be. This isn't done by a constant forcing and nagging me to change. He lays out His expectation for without this, it is not right to tell someone that they are wrong when you have not told them what is right, that is wrong. So He sets out what is right and how to go about in His Word, The Bible. The rules and expectation is there clearly lay out, so that I know what is right and wrong.

But how He does it, that's the wonder! You see He doesn't bash me with ideas and force me to comply, rather He influences, teaches, guides and shows me how to do it. He does it through His everlasting love and unfailing kindness. Gently, He leads and shows me and influences me to change with the basics of love. He doesn't gain anything but my change, it doesn't benefit God in any way that I change. Rather I am the one who benefits from the changes, growth and maturing. So the time and gentleness and love He pours out on me is to move me to be a better person, without any benefit to Him. That's love. He loves me with an everlasting love, despite my ugliness, my rebellious nature and my stubbornness, and He draws me with unfailing kindness, inviting me to change and grow.

The result? Well the thing is... the change that God instills in me sticks! Like, it is permanent; it becomes part of my nature and character and I am changed for good.

My wanting to change, to pray, to be more like Him isn't something that was forced upon. Learning to be more patient, growing in understanding and grace, to love without expecting is not due to religion; rather it is because of the smile on the face of my Heavenly Face. It is the influence of the unfailing love and kindness that He has shown me that has moved me to change. That is a more powerful way to influence change. It is slower, requires more patient, more love but it is not temporal.

My prayer is that you will expect the everlasting love and unfailing kindness that will draw you to Him!