Our call, to surrender to God's love.

The other day as I was reading I was struck by this quote, "God continuously reaches out to humans. His call is always the same. It is an invitation to come to him, to receive his rest, enjoy his love and respond with obedient service that flows out of devotion. Our response is also the same at all points in our spiritual journey. The response is to surrender to his love." - David Benner

I have been thinking about the meaning of this quote for days and it has welled up in me all sorts of thoughts and emotions. I was hesitant to believe it's meaning at first because I have never heard our call as humans put so simply; to surrender to God's love. It is the simple truth that we have nothing to offer to God except what he first gives us. Only once we have experienced God's love ourselves, do we have something genuine to offer to others. Anything else is something that we have manufactured ourselves, something that comes out of impure motives of guilt or trying to win God's favor. Nothing replaces actual knowing of God's love through experience. The true radiance of God's love is something that can't be faked, it must be experienced.

All of us have a craving for love, to be pursued, desired, noticed, favored. If we don't wait and allow God to offer us this love, we will sift for it in all sorts of places. We project our need for love and acceptance unfairly in our relationships, in our jobs, social gatherings, everywhere. We expect from others what only God can offer us. No one will ever love you like God does. No one ever can. Understand this truth and it will change the way you interact in all of your relationships. Sit, and wait, surrender to God's love and allow it to melt away every ounce of anxiety and fear you feel to be noticed, accepted, to achieve or win favor. Wait for God's love to come and settle your soul. 

May the words of this blessing comfort you and fill you with peace, "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord life up his countenance upon you and give you peace." (Num. 6:24-26). Know that God desires to gaze upon your face and to place in you all the love and acceptance you are searching for. Sit and wait for God's love to fill you every day and instead of bringing into your relationships an unmet need, you can bring the radiance of God's love.