By Gina Caswell Kelly
While I was traveling, I was noticing the colors of the trees and all the greenery. We call it green, but there are a hundred different shades of green. We use that one word to describe something with a vast array of hues and tints. But it is all called green.
We use the word love in the same way. I love hamburgers. I love my grandkids. I love the rain. I love a good western. I love God. All of those are true, but should the same word be used to describe each one? I love hamburgers, but I love my grandkids more. I love rain, but certainly, I love God much, much more. Yet, love is the only word we have.
The same can be said of God. God is good. God is great. God is all-powerful. God is eternal. God is love. God is caring. God is our shepherd. God is so many different things to each of us, yet He is God. One word. One God.
We are so inadequate when it comes to describing the goodness of God. Go back to the colors. He loved us so much, that He gave us a wide array of colors and hues. We can’t begin to describe all the colors there are for us to see. What we do know is that all of the differences in colors point to one thing. God loves us. He gave us variety in our lives.
Love is the same way. He gave us hearts with such a capacity to love. We can love so many people and so many things. Of course, we do love each other in different ways, but again, what a gift from God. All the things we love point to the same thing. God loves us.
God loves us so much that He gave us these huge hearts with such capacity for love. He loves us so much that He gave us beauty in our world. He loves us so much that He offers forgiveness for our sins. He loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die for us. My goodness, what kind of love is that?
As we think about our inadequacy to describe or capture the beauty around us, and our inadequacy to even clearly define the various types of love, we have to think about this great and loving Father who shares so much love with us. We can never be worthy of His great love, grace and mercy. But, the good news is that we don’t have to be worthy. His great love is there for us right where we are. People with lives stained with sin will be washed clean by the overwhelming love of the Father!
Look around at the variety and the beauty around us. Recognize that it is all a gift created just for our enjoyment. Then be grateful for the unrivaled love of the Father. It is this love that makes a difference.
Listen here:
