Articles
Love At First Sight
One of the most common themes people associate with love is the notion of “love at first sight.” It is the dream for many people to find the love of their life in that way. How many movies, tv shows, or books tell that story? However, it is far less common than we would be led to believe — it just doesn’t happen much.
The Bible, in a way, is a love story. It is the story of a benevolent, loving Creator who willingly gave everything to His creation. Not only does it tell the story of His love for man, but the story of how man responded to that love. Our focus through the pages of the Scriptures is constantly pointed towards the coming Messiah, who is called Immanuel, “God with us.” In this, we see the pinnacle of this great story.
Have you ever been rejected by someone you had affections for? Most of us have. We have all felt heartbroken. Now, returning to the story, consider the great love God has for each of His part of His creation, and how He has been rejected. Even the Son of God was “despised and rejected of men.” God loved us at first sight, but we did not love Him.
There are three ways in which we need to “see” in order to love God back. The first is that we need to learn to really see God for who He is. He is holy, divine, powerful, kind, and merciful towards us. He is completely apart from sin and darkness. He gives us liberally each good and perfect gift. When we open our eyes to His character and benevolence and truly see Him for the first time, it makes an impact.
Once we have truly opened our eyes to God, we must then look inwardly and see who we really are. We are all sinners. That means we are separated from our good Father. We come to understand the impurity of our heart, the disgusting nature of the sins we commit, and the filth we make comfortable in our hearts and lives. When we recognize where we stand before a Holy God, we can begin to love and appreciate Him more.
Finally, we must look to His Son. When Saul saw Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was changed. He knew God, saw himself as he truly was, and was amazed at the great love with which God loved him. When we humble ourselves, realizing our spiritual need, we then look to the Son — to Jesus Christ. When we see Him for the first time with open eyes and an open heart, we will understand love. We will know His love for us, and we will have a love for Him that will lead us to do whatever it takes to be with Him.
Of course, it is possible to reject Him. People have done that since the very beginning. Still, He waits with open arms, ready to accept us when we open our eyes to what He has done. Do not refuse Him; His patience will run out. Open your eyes. Open your heart. God’s love for us was truly love at first sight. Will you love Him in return?
