We have been conditioned to think of God as this gigantic, serious, duty-bound Spirit who perambulates the heavens and shakes His fist at the slightest event that strays from His premeditated plans. We like to uphold the image of an angry God who strikes down the unholy and visits the iniquities of the unfaithful to the third and fourth generations—all of which, undoubtedly, can be found somewhere in our Bibles if we look hard enough. It is as though we subconsciously believe that God’s face is one that has etched upon it the ever-compounding problems of the universe, all interspersed in a deep, dark frown from the many disappointments and heartbreaks.
Ever lived with someone like that? Maybe a parent, a spouse, or, in an unlikely event, a friend? I don’t have many people who fit such grim descriptions in my life, fortunately. But it doesn’t take much insight to know that such individuals are no fun to be around. All you can ever do is live in high-alert mode—always watching your back and measuring your every step around them. In such relationships, fear takes the place of love, and oppression edges out admiration.
One question I often ask myself is, “What does God really want?” Does He find pleasure when the sons of men approach Him with feet shuddering in fear and heads bowed in fright? Does He desire a relationship with us or something more along the lines of a master-servant transaction? If you’re anything like me, the answer reveals itself to you as you ponder questions of this nature. Why? Because they are questions of the heart and not of the mind.
You see, the mind has tendencies toward contradictions, arguments, and doubts, but the heart is a sacred place of quiet confidence and blessed assurance. It is a good thing to be able to distinguish the workings of the mind from those of the heart. In fact, it’s not only good but essential to living a life of purpose and satisfaction. So, back to our questions…
Born in the small-town setting of Gorham, Maine, on November 26, 1827, Ellen G. White is regarded as one of the founding members of the Seventh-day Adventist movement. She was the L. Ron Hubbard before L. Ron Hubbard (Hubbard holds the record for the most published works by one author, with over 1,000 published titles—an incredible feat, huh?). Ellen managed to author over 5,000 articles and 40 books during her lifetime. I wish I could brag about reading every single one of her works, but I can’t. Instead, what has had the greatest impact on my relationship with my Heavenly Father and my perception of Him is a quote on love in her remarkable book, The Desire of Ages (1898). Paraphrasing wouldn’t do justice to the actual message, so I’ll just copy and paste it here for your reading pleasure and, hopefully, enlightenment.
“The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened.”
Pretty concise, right? To me, it sounds almost poetic, especially with the echoing ending statement: “Only by love is love awakened.” Thank you, Ellen, for your precision and eloquence in communicating this vital spiritual truth.
Surely, God desires service. But what kind of service? Only the service of love. And how does this love come about? By force, coercion, manipulation, and control? Obviously not. The best these can yield are pretense and rebellion. Only by love is love awakened, and I must add that he who desires love must show himself lovely.
I like to reflect on the image of God painted for us in the Sermon on the Mount—how He is a Father (Abba, as affectionately called in the Jewish language) who spends His time clothing the lilies of the field (which are here today and cast into the fire tomorrow) and watching and feeding the birds of the air. There’s also the big one that sounds utterly preposterous to a productive twenty-first-century man—God counts the hairs on our head (Luke 12:7).
It is these traits of God, seen and believed, that make it possible for us to have a personal, intimate relationship with Him. They make Him fun and interesting to be around. I can imagine God tenderly nurturing the lilies of the field with dirt-soiled hands and waving at the birds, beckoning them to feast from the palm of His hand. Lovely, isn’t it?
All said, I’ll end by striking a delicate balance here—and how I’ll do that is by stating what I’m not saying (or implying) by this article. I’m not saying that God has no wrath, nor am I saying that He does not execute judgment. Although all these have their place in establishing justice and sanity in a chaotic, messy world, they cannot advance the cause of genuine love—which is love devoid of fear—in your relationship with God.
I think God wants us to be more like Moses, who understood His ways (who He is) and not just His acts (what He did). When God is perceived as the love He truly is, you’ll have a hard time not loving Him.
Restpiration 