Take a moment to read these thoughts penned by John Eldredge.

We Are Lovers 07/28/2007  The Scriptures employ a wide scale of metaphors to capture the many facets of our relationship with God. If you consider them in a sort of ascending order, there is a noticeable and breathtaking progression. Down near the bottom of the totem pole we are the clay and he is the Potter. Moving up a notch, we are the sheep and he is the Shepherd, which is a little better position on the food chain but hardly flattering; sheep don’t have a reputation as the most graceful and intelligent creatures in the world. Moving upward, we are the servants of the Master, which at least lets us into the house, even if we have to wipe our feet, watch our manners, and not talk too much. Most Christians never get past this point, but the ladder of metaphors is about to make a swift ascent. God also calls us his children and himself our heavenly Father, which brings us into the possibility of real intimacy— love is not one of the things a vase and its craftsman share together, nor does a sheep truly know the heart of the shepherd, though it may enjoy the fruits of his kindness. Still, there is something missing even in the best parent-child relationship. Friendship levels the playing field in a way family never can, at least not until the kids have grown and left the house. Friendship opens a level of communion that a five-year-old doesn’t know with his mother and father. And “friends” are what he calls us. But there is still a higher and deeper level of intimacy and partnership awaiting us at the top of this metaphorical ascent. We are lovers. The courtship that began with a honeymoon in the Garden culminates in the wedding feast of the Lamb. “I will take delight in you,” he says to us, “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will I rejoice over you,” so that we might say in return, “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me.” (The Sacred Romance , 96)  From The Ransomed Heart, by John Eldredge, reading 209 Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com

My thoughts:  

I am captivated by the fact that Christ delights in me and desires me. The word lover melts my heart and causes me to collapse into the reality of who I am in relationship to my lover. Almost instantly when I think of being His lover I am humbled and thankful. BUT… If I am not careful Satan uses those thoughts as an entrance to begin to whisper that I am not worthy or worth it. I know that through grace I have full access to an intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ, and I know that He has made me worthy through my accepting the sacrifice He gave. This is the battle we all face. Do we trust the heart of the one who offers the relationship or the one who whispers arguments against it? 

I know that I need the lover relationship with Him. I yearn for intimate moments with Him. I enjoy Him as my lover. But often I doubt the grace I have been given. I do not believe that within me has been placed the beautiful stamp of the image of God Himself. So I turn to the lie that I am not worthy and revert back to the servant mode, or I wander around like a dumb sheep. 

That is exactly what the devil wants. He wants disabled Christians. He does not want you and I to take full advantage of all Christ offers us. Satan wants to distract us from the role we were created to play in the redemptive story God has written for the world. 

We can not allow the whispers of the prince of darkness to penetrate our hearts and cripple us on our journey with Christ. We must press on. We must pursue the truth, focus on The Lover, and remember the fact that we are in the midst of a battle. We have an enemy and he will do anything to make us satisfied with simply getting a purple heart and going home. 

I will not be satisfied with anything but knowing intimately and deeply the love of Jesus Christ and sharing that love with the broken hearts in this world. The sacrifice of Jesus demands it and His love compels us to do as such. WE ARE LOVERS. 

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