"If I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart PRIZE THY LOVE, KNOW IT, and BE CONSTRAINED BY IT, though I be denied all blessings."
The following is an excerpt from a book of prayers called The Valley of Vision. I sometimes find it hard to interpret the old English "thees and thous" but once I understand the meaning behind these eloquent and convicting prayers written, I am spurred on and challenged deeply. I would highly recommend this as a supplement in their time alone with God. This particular selection really spurred me on in my devotional time recently and led me to evaluate 3 three things about my heart:
1. Do I prize Christ's love?
2. Do I know His love?
3. Am I constrained by His love?
....no matter what?
1. Do I prize Christ's love?
Several parts of Scripture come to mind when I think about prizing His love-Jeremiah 9:23-24 and Jeremiah 5:16 are a few starters. I tried to think of what it means to prize His love and began to think about what it means for me to prize anything. The first thing which comes to my mind is treasure....which then leads me to also think about the parable of the treasure hidden in the field...where a guy finds it and goes and sells everything he had to buy the whole field. The implication of prizing His love to me is...
-Considering it more wonderful and desirable than anything the world offers.
-Considering His love continually-both intentionally and unintentionally. I think intentionally so means to make radical decisions in light of prizing Him more deeply, such as intentional time spent alone with Him, etc.
I will be the first to admit, my life and heart do not always reflect these!
2. Do I know His love?
I have heard it said that God's Word is a love letter written to us and I would agree. You see His love demonstrated from Genesis to Revelation. Specifically 1 John speaks of His love and tells me that He IS love...the very definition of the word. Love is loving someone even when they can't or don't love you back and I see this demonstrated in fullness in Christ Jesus. What incredible love that He would send His Son to take on the punishment for MY sin. I was not looking for Him or living for Him, when He gripped my heart and I entered into this love relationship at a younger age. I have been seeking to understand, receive, and give back ever since. Though this be the case, I find myself often complacent and thankless, taking for granted the reality of this unconditional love.
3. Am I constrained by His love?
The definition of constrained is "forced, compelled, or obliged" according to dictionary.com. These synonyms almost have a negative connotation at first glance, but the more I think about and understand the meaning, I am encouraged. Recently I have been thinking about and talking to others about what it means to be constrained or compelled by His love. Brett and I are knee-deep in ministry, and it often seems hard to separate vocation and duty from operating out of the overflow of a heart captured by Christ's love. We want to simply operate out of the overflow of His love, but it is certainly difficult at times! However, I truly am convinced the more intimacy I experience with Him, the more I know Him and have deep and real communion with Him...are the times when I most deeply and genuinely desire to make Him known, AND experience fullness of joy. This being said, I am not "forced" in a derogatory sense as the definition implies, but in a gripped and overcome by Him sense.
I really do think this is the secret to avoid burnout. I want to join with this person in prayer for us that we would prize, know, and be constrained by God's love in the midst of whatever may come.
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God..." -1 John 3:1
"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son unto world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." -1 John 4:9-10
