WHY ARE YOU CRYING?
And may the Lord direct your hearts
into the love of God
and into the steadfastness of Christ.
II Thessalonians 3:5
May the Lord direct you–lead you–draw you–to the Love of God. Our finite minds cannot capture this “love of God”. It is beyond our ability to understand. It is so far removed from our experiences here on Earth that we can only shake our heads and say, “I don’t understand.” But this is His plea for us: May you come to know the love of God.
And may the Lord lead us–direct us–into the steadfastness of Christ. Christ who “set His face like flint”–Christ who did not waver when faced with rejection, shame, desertion, and excruciating pain–that steadfastness–may we come to know it. These two things make up our deepest needs: Unconditional love and unending steadfastness which will give us the security we long for. And they are ours, if we allow the Lord to direct us.
We enter this world crying to be loved, a need placed deep within us by God and a need that will be a driving force within us all of our life! If we aren’t crying as we leave the womb, a smart slap on the bottom gets us started and we wind up airing all our grievances: I don’t like it out here! I was warm and now I’m cold! I was all nestled in and cozy and out here there’s nothing but space. That light hurts my eyes!I have a splitting headache and besides all that, I had something in my mouth and now I don’t!I’m hungry!
So we take this screaming little bundle and try to simulate the womb, to settle him down and make him all comfy again. First of all we warm him up: We put him in a dry diaper and a cozy footie gown; we wrap him in a soft, warm, receiving blanket and put him in a tiny bassinet (just his size); then we put a bottle in his mouth and he stops crying–for just a little while. Then he starts again. What is he crying for? Oh, the very same thing that millions of humans are crying for: Love. Hold me. Closer. Hug me. To be embraced. To sense security. To feel warmth. To know there is someone near because I can hear the beat of a heart.
Some of us have never stopped crying, searching, hunting. And as we get older the search becomes more intensified! Some infants just give up and die. They close their tearless eyes and hurry back to their Creator. And some of us have tried to do the same thing–have longed to do the same thing.
I was talking to a friend recently, a friend who grew up with a loving church family, who was a vital part of church every where she went. She played the organ, she attended a Bible study, she had daily talks with the Lord through devotional readings. She loved her pastor and was a part of his family. Now, she has separated herself from all of that–volitionally–by her own choice. And she cries and says to me, “I feel lost and so useless. I’m no use to anyone. I’m just existing. No one cares about me.” Yes, she feels that way, but are those things true for her as a child of God? Yes, she is wandering, struggling, lost–but why? She strayed from the path. She has left her closest Friend behind. She has turned her back on the One who loves her. She has separated herself from the steadfastness she has always known. The Lord wants her back in His embrace. He wants her to live in His love, to give her the security she needs, to hold her hand and comfort her.
Read the scripture again: And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. That is His desire for us. That’s our verse from birth. He has told us of His unfathomable love, He has spoken to us in many different ways–through others, His handiwork, His Word, and is longing to give stability and security to our restless hearts. Only His steadfastness is unshakable. Only His love is unconditional and forever.
Yes, we come into the world crying for love and that Love is ours from the moment of conception. However, we must accept that love on His terms. We have to tell Him that we believe He loves us and humbly go to Him seeking for the relationship of Father and child. As we do this we are enveloped in the love of God and we experience the steadfastness of Christ in our hearts. We have secured what was offered to us when we were crying and we didn’t really know why.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your tenacity, Your undying pursuit, and Your gift to me–Your incredible gift!