Watch. Stand. Pray. 365
Day 179 – God Is not Entitled to Receive Our LoveLove is never entitled. Love must always be earned, won over. The moment anyone thinks oneself entitled to love, that person will become lax, negligent, unloving, and, consequentially, unlovable. God is not like this. God is perfectly lovable because, though always available, His love is perfectly optional.
God is a gentleman. He will never go where He is unwelcome. As a gentleman, He knows how to take a hint.
The young woman still learning to love will do things that repel other people. But, not understanding how repulsive her actions are, can’t figure out why people keep running from her. Eventually, she thinks the world is against her when, actually, she has not prepared herself to be a loving person whom people want to love in return. Just the same, a young man may annoy others or fail to carry his own weight, so his peers reject him, yet he will never figure out why until someone explains to him how to earn friendship.
To earn friends, first be a friend; to be a friend, do a good job of whatever you are doing. God understands these things perfectly. So, when we do small, little things that repel wisdom, life, strength, and the choice to be happy, He won’t darken our door with things we don’t want. Immorality uninvites the God who created morality for our benefit. He won’t force life on us if we don’t want to walk the path that leads to that life.
Just the same, with guidance of the Holy Spirit, heightened joy from His presence, spirit-driven insight into our circumstances—God will not share these things with us unless we want it.
God leaves many standing offers on the table. It is our choice what we will accept from Him. Some people only want His forgiveness without the result of living wisely. So, forgiveness is all we will have as we enter into the next life with nothing else. Some people want to obey his moral code, but not grow in love and self-controlled joy. Many “Christians” reject miracles or spiritual encounters. Whatever our limits are on God’s love, He respects our boundaries and will never impose Himself beyond them.
