Undying Love

“Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 6:24

These are the final words of one of the loftiest writings in the New Testament. With phrases packed full of worship, the Apostle Paul has painted a radiant panorama of the heights and depths of God’s love for us in Christ. I am told that the first chapter, and even more, read as one run-on sentence. It as if Paul can’t get the words down on the papyrus quick enough. One phrase after another describe God’s plan: “heavenly places”, “chosen”, “adoption”, “redemption”, “lavished”, “riches”, “wisdom”, “fullness”. And, the one word full of blessing: “grace”.

One would think that would be quite enough to fill the entire six chapters Paul wrote to the Ephesians. Instead, these phrases are found in just the first ten verses alone! This is language of love. This is language that struggles to find words grand enough to describe the indescribable.

I think we write our finest love letters in our mid teens. Full of the flush that first romance brings, we cannot think of anything else than our beloved. Never having these emotions before, the most withdrawn of young men often become poets, filling pages with declarations of undying devotion.

As in Cyrano de Bergerac, even the young “Christians” among us who have no ability to speak of romance, long to announce their passion to their Roxanne. In one of my favorite plays, Rostand captures the frustration Christian felt; he loved Roxanne, but the words stumbled over his tongue. Cyrano, an older man with a nose that filled his face, was also a poet. Though he felt himself quite ugly and out of Roxanne’s league, he gladly pens words for Christian to ply the object of his affections.

There is no reservation in the language. Cyrano writes with both wit and passion. It becomes obvious that these words are not simply commissioned by Christian, Cyrano owns their emotion himself. He too, loves Roxanne.

I don’t suggest that every follower of Jesus should be a great poet. Nor do I want to compare young romantic love with the deeply devoted love for Christ. If anything, our love for Him is higher, richer, and enduring; quite unlike the vicissitudes of young crushes. Reading Paul’s first chapter slowly reveals a man overwhelmed with a God whose love is without measure.

And yet, I find my own heart more concerned with keeping God happy. I struggle to do enough in the day, in all the right ways, to know that I’ve pleased Him. No, it’s not always a conscious thing, but it is there nevertheless. How sad if my children didn’t feel comfortable with their dad until they finished every chore they imagined would satisfy him.

Sometimes the wounds of life keep us from expressive love to God. We can easily blame God for our hardships, transferring to Him the pain inflicted by an imperfect world. That can happen even more if the wounds happen within the family of God.

But I know better. I also know that He sees the innermost heart. Even though hardship may have dimmed the first bloom of joy and love from a believer’s heart, Jesus knows why you continue in His way. Perhaps you were free at one time, fully expressive, singing in your heart, devoted to obedience out of the sheer joy of knowing Him. Perhaps it was in that very time that the hammer fell and now you follow, step after limping step, still loving, but uncertain how to express yourself to Him now.

All I know is that Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit said that God’s grace is on those who have an “undying” love for Jesus. He did not say, “expressive” or “giddy” or “emotional”. If the only act of love is waking up one more day and serving Him because you are still convinced He is Your Savior and First Love, then, receive His grace. Instead of worrying about where all the joy went, express your own heart to Father God now.

Back to Cyrano for a moment. Left on his own, Christian’s words would have little effect in romancing Roxanne. Indeed, if his words were all he had, she would probably stop listening quite quickly. But Christian had Cyrano. He did not make up emotions for Christian, he took what Christian felt and gave him words to fit his emotions.

The Bible says that we don’t always know how to pray, but we have the Holy Spirit who prays for us in ways we do not understand. Like Christian, or words fail us sometimes when we come to the Father. But, just like Cyrano, the Holy Spirit takes our heart and translates it into the beautiful language of heavenly love to the Father. We stumble and mutter, the Holy Spirit takes that and sings our heart’s best to Father God.