The Greatest Thing in the World - 03

These posts are related to a book I'm reading called The Greatest Thing in the World by Heny Drummond. This book is about love and takes a deep dive into 1 Corinthians 13. Chapter three begins with a quote by Charles Spurgeon.

"No sooner is love born than she finds herself at war. Everything is against her, for the world is full of envy, hate, and ill-will. I would warn the most loving-hearted that they have entered upon a war for peace, a strife for love: they are born to hate hatred, and to contend against contention. As the lily among thorns, so is love among the sons of men."

I read this and I wondered why humanity rejects love and goes to war against the expression of love. Why do we fight against the very thing that will save us and make us whole. Why do we seek out our own destruction, our own de-construction, and seek chaos rather than order? I honestly don't know...yet. I feel I know pieces of this, but I will ask the Helper and he will help me understand. 

Spurgeon is right, the world is full of envy, hate, and ill-will. There are many wonderful people in the world who selflessly share love and kindness every day, but are they truly selfless? No one is good or self-less without God making a way for us. Is man totally depraved as John Calvin would suggest? Maybe, but we are created in God's image, and we all have been given the gift of choice. We all have the ability to choose love over self. I do understand that free will is not possible without the presence of a choice. If God created us to receive love without the choice to reject love, then it would be meaningless. Love is relational and relationship requires us to freely give of ourselves. Our self-nature is a gift that we possess so that we have something to give to God.  

But why is so hard for us to receive love and let go of our own destruction? Jesus was very clear that he was the way to eternal life. All else leads to destruction. All humans must be able to receive love, to know love, and to be aware that love exists. Even those who cannot define love, still know something is missing in this world. We all instinctively long for something more, something beyond ourselves. So why does the world rebel against love? I understand why those who chose to share love with others must contend with a world of hate and with the hate within themselves. For we must give everything to receive love. John 12:24 says unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it will remain unchanged. Maybe that's the answer? We ae born into a paradox. We are born with the instinct to live yet we must die to live. We will take whatever we need to survive, yet we must give away what we need in order to live. That's the choice we face. That's the way available to all who believe.


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