I may be the world’s worst texter. Just ask my daughter. The only thing worse than the mistakes I make typing are the ones I make dictating. I’ve said some pretty funny things to people because I thought dictating a message was a better option than typing one. Just for the record, for me, it’s not.
There is one mistake I seem to make over and over. Last night, as I was trying to type “I love you” to my daughter, I once again typed “I live you.” And like every other time I uttered “Ugh” under my breath and corrected it to “love.” And then God spoke to me and very clearly said, “I live you, Rhonda. Write about this.”
Loving someone is a huge commitment. If we love sincerely, it requires us to be vulnerable and honest. Trusting that someone will not just accept our love, but value it, cherish it, and return it. Loving someone causes your heart to burst with emotion when you see them or hug them. Being in their company infuses you with happiness and hope. And when someone you love is hurting, your very being cries out with them. Love is a big first step.
And God loved us first. God loved us so much that He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). God manifested His love for us through Jesus. He sent Jesus to live among us. To walk with us when we need company. To cry with us when we suffer. To laugh with us as we experience life. Jesus is God’s promise to His children. Jesus lived us.
You see, it is in the living that you demonstrate true commitment. Your wants are subordinate to the needs of others. You would rather suffer someone’s disappointment, so they don’t have to. To take their pain and free them from anguish. To carry their burden so they may walk lightly. To cry that they may laugh. Living for someone means that no matter the cost, you would willingly take their place.
To die…that they may live.
Jesus lived us. He modeled the power of living for others. The power of serving. The power of healing. The power of teaching. The power of sacrifice. The power to save through a brutal death on a cross.
Good Friday we will remember Jesus’ sacrifice. The choice He made to honor God’s plan, no matter the cost. But this Good Friday, I ask you to also remember God’s promise. God lived as Jesus for one purpose…to die for a fallen world. From Jesus’ first breath as a human infant, to His last breath on the Cross at Calvary, Jesus lived to die. For you. For me. No matter how undeserving we may be.
Easter Sunday is a celebration of life. The resurrection of the One who offers eternal life. The One who now lives in us, not just with us. Does Jesus love us? Absolutely. Unequivocally. Unconditionally. Without a doubt.
But if Easter Sunday tells us anything, it tells us He LIVES us more.