To Love is to Risk

Have you ever found yourself having a very difficult time loving someone? Or continuing to love someone after they have hurt you deeply or repeatedly? I'm sure each of us has found ourselves in that position at one time or another. Each time we love someone we take a risk that our hearts may wind up broken.

From the time we are born, even before we can say the word "love," or know its meaning, we begin to risk our hearts on loving someone. Usually the "someone" is our mom and dad. Not all parents love and care for their children the way they should and the hearts of the children may be broken. We risk our hearts with siblings, extended families, friends, spouses...the list goes on. Each time we put our hearts out there we are taking a risk that we may be wounded.

When our hearts are broken we naturally want to draw back, protect and nurse our wounded hearts. There are some people who totally draw back and build a hard shell around their heart and never love again because they don't want or think they can't endure more pain.

The world can withdraw their hearts, protect them from more hurt, and refuse to risk loving again. But as Christians we are called to a higher standard than that of the world. John 15 12-13 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Jesus commands us to love... just the way He loved us. So we can't harden our hearts or play it safe. Jesus is our greatest example of love. Jesus risked His heart and His love on us. Love is a risky business and Jesus was in the business of risky love. He loved His family and they thought He had lost His mind. He loved those no one else would love and His own people scorned Him for it. He loved and had compassion on the sick and He healed them; very few ever even thanked him. Jesus came as Messiah to His Chosen People and they rejected Him and hung Him on a cross. His closest friends turned their backs on Him, one denied Him, and yet another gave Him over into the hands of those who would kill Him. For years I ignored Jesus, rebelled against Him...I wallowed in a sinful lifestyle and He still loved me.

Jesus knows what it's like to risk love unabashedly and have His heart broken in pieces. And still...He laid down His life for us all. "Greater love has one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." And Jesus calls us His "friends."

Love is a risky business.

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 36 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of 3 grandsons. She serves at America's Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

PSALM 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.