Legacy #03 - Vulnerable Love

Jesus is God with us, come to show us God's love...

In our devotional segments so far, we've seen that Jesus was God who descended down the ladder to us. Then, together with us, Jesus asked us to climb up. To move more towards God.

Then, we also saw that as Jesus climbs with us, His love never leaves us. He won't turn away, because Jesus shows us the gritty love of God. It's love that gets into all the details of our lives - the shame, the regrets, the doubts, the insecurities - and still remains 100% committed to our worth and value.

But Jesus also shows us something else about God's love. God's love is willing to be injured for us.

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Injuries. Ugh. Just typing the word makes me shudder. This tennis season, we have endured some injuries. We've had back ailments, shoulder soreness, abdominal strains, twisted ankles, and just plain old sore feet. We've had a total of 1 retirement, 5 missed matches, and oodles of trips to the trainer. 

What's going on?

Well, we are carrying a big load. Physically, this season has been much more taxing on our bodies because many players are stepping up from JV roles last season to the varsity this year. This means more movement, trying to our serves harder, absorbing the impact of heavier and stronger shots from our opponents and the stress of not wanting to let anybody down.

And when we shoulder that load alone, we get injured.

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Maybe the hardest thing to carry through a season is the mental anxiety. Maybe that's the hardest thing to carry through life. Over and over again, we bump up against ours fears and failures and we just hammer ourselves with them.

"Maybe I won't make the varsity this year."

"I can't believe I lost a match where I won the first set so easily."

"I don't feel like I'm understanding the mentality of the team."

"I've worked so hard and I still get nervous every time I have to hit a backhand."

And then we throw in some why questions...

"Why don't I ever get any better?"

"Why don't my teammates seem to like me?"

"Why did I have to be put in the position that we need to win the match?"

"Why don't I understand how to change?"

And then we feel terrible.

And we often take it out on someone. Sometimes ourselves, which deepens the problem. Sometimes we get frustrated with others, which causes a new stressor to pop up. Sometimes we take it out on God, wondering how God could bring us into such a hard situation. Or wondering why God won't just take this situation away.

Yet, all over the Bible, God seems to be okay with us "taking it out" on God.

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Here's what I mean... God's love is big enough that it can take our open frustration against it. God's love can handle our frustration about others. God's love can handle our fears and our failures. God's love can handle anything that we try to nail to it.

On the cross, Jesus shows us the perfect example of God's love. There, Jesus swallows up all the sin, all the brokenness of the world and offers to suffer its pain. In Job, God hears all of Job's complaints and is doesn't suggest that Job was right, but is glad that Job honestly talked it out with him. In the psalms of lament or the book of Lamentations, God hears the complaints of the people and responds with "mercies that are new every morning." Before the cross, Jesus is even hesitant to bear the cup of pain coming up to him, and God sends strength.

Sometimes, we just need to honestly pray. To let down our guards, and tell God how we feel. God's love is big enough to handle pain, frustration, fear, anger, and so much more. It is willing to suffer the injury for us, to carry the load with us, before we become overwhelmed.

God is willing to suffer for us.

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So what am I suggesting. Well, plain and simple, I'm suggesting you take time right now and offer an honest prayer. Maybe that prayer is full of fear and pain. Maybe an honest prayer is full of hope and joy. Maybe an honest prayer is in worry for someone else, maybe it is grateful, maybe it is angry. Whatever it is, take five minutes to tell God what is going on in your life. 

What is injuring you?

What is filling you up with joy?

What is keeping you up at night?

What is it that you really want?

Let Jesus bear that with you. And know that we love you too. We are committed to your worth, your indescribable value, and we want to climb up this ladder together toward God.