God with us - Week 32: Ephesians 2:4-5
“Tell me every terrible thing you ever did, and let me love you anyway.”
Sade Andria Zabala
In the middle of my usual googling and researching, I stumbled across this quote.
It stopped me in my tracks.
Despite its secular source, it articulated how I experience the grace of God.
There are so many aspects of the Christian faith that are difficult to articulate or fathom.
There are so many questions that need answers that I can’t give.
I understand the confusion about evil, suffering, and the inexplicable cruelty that God seemingly allows in the world.
I get the frustration of watching those who profess to be Christians showing none of the love their namesake gave His life for.
I know that so much is opaque when all we want is clarity.
I understand that a life of faith can also be filled with doubt.
None of it is neat or tidy, but that’s okay.
In my experience, faith doesn’t work like that.
If you ask me why I believe in Jesus Christ, despite all the objections, question marks, and uncertainty around Christianity, then it’s summed up in this week’s scripture.
4 But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. 5 Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, he united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by his wonderful grace!
Ephesians 2:4-5 (TPT)
It’s only in recent years that I’ve started to live life from a place where I know I am loved “with such great love.” I have shared with God every terrible thing I’ve ever done and have tangibly experienced His unconditional love and grace. I don’t know what spiritual perspective Sade Andria Zabala writes from (if any), but I believe there is a limit to the “terrible things” a person can hear and still keep loving. We want to love others unconditionally, but our human nature makes this so difficult for us to live out. We want others to love us despite all the mistakes we’ve made but, whether we like it or not, this kind of love has its limits.
In my experience there's only one place to go if you truly want to be loved for exactly who you are, warts and all. Every mistake I’ve made, every message I’ve regretted sending, every heart I’ve hurt, and every terrible thing I’ve ever done, God knows it all.
His response?
Let me love you anyway.
Kay Moorby
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