Something occurred to me this morning, as I sipped my coffee and listened to one of my favorite songs from KLOVE radio. The song is "Alive" by Natalie Grant, from the musical collection "The Story."
Several things were jumbling themselves together in my head as I listened, things like my husband saying, "No teenage boy would stick around after crap like that" (his reaction to the film "Beautiful Creatures"), and things like how the human body and psyche do not have limitless resources, so now matter how much we love something, we'll get exhausted of it, which can turn into boredom or irritation or frustration - I've experienced this with my most favorite hobbies or books. I need a break, and then I can come back to them with renewed enthusiasm.
And then something clicked that never did before.
John Piper wrote a book several years ago titled "Desiring God." Years after that, he wrote a book titled "When I Don't Desire God," and that second book led to a Bible study. I'm participating in that same Bible study at church, and in it, Piper talked about this weariness we all get, even with things we love - we don't have the capacity to endlessly adore something.
But God does.
It then occurred to me that the reason our movies and books and such talk of undying, unending, forever faithful devotion for one person from another is because we know deep in our souls what real love is SUPPOSED to look like, just like we know deep down what right and wrong look like. Those inherent standards were created in us, but we lack the capacity to fulfill them perfectly. We get lethargic, apathetic, annoyed, intimidated. We get inundated by messages from others and we get confused. We draw a line and say, "No, I'm not sticking around. This is too much."
But God does not. Jesus does not.
Which is why we keep hoping for "the one," for that person that will be a source of everlasting affection and joy. But we're looking for it in other imperfect and flawed people who don't have the energy or the capability to be that for us. People who have a breaking point and won't go beyond it.
This is why the love of God is so incomprehensible and yet so overwhelmingly precious. God has no breaking point in His love for His people. He has the capacity, the willingness, and the ability to be these things we so desperately desire.
And that just blows my mind.
For those interested, click here to view the "Alive" lyric video.
