When Love Acts Up

When Love Acts Up: The Radical Nature of God's Love

Love. It's a word we use often, but do we truly understand its depth and power, especially when it comes to God's love for us? Today, let's explore what happens when love isn't just a feeling or a word, but an action – when love "acts up."

We often think of love in terms of our closest relationships – our parents, children, spouses, or dearest friends. We ponder what lengths we'd go to for their happiness and safety. But here's a challenging thought: what about those we consider the worst of humanity? The murderers, the racists, the abusers? Can we fathom a love that extends even to them?

This is where God's love enters the picture, radically different from our human understanding. Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This verse encapsulates a profound truth – God's love isn't reserved for the deserving, but for all of humanity in our broken, sinful state.

Let's break this down further. When we were at our weakest, unable to resist sin, when we couldn't even help ourselves – that's when Christ stepped in. He didn't wait for us to clean up our act or become worthy. He acted while we were still in the midst of our mess.

This is where the concept of "crashing out" comes into play. In urban slang, to "crash out" means to do something knowing it will have negative consequences. We, as humans, crash out because of sin. But Jesus? He crashed out to redeem us from sin.

Think about it. Throughout history, we see examples of people crashing out:
- Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
- Cain killing Abel
- Moses killing an Egyptian
- David's affair with Bathsheba
- Noah getting drunk
- Abraham lying about Sarah

The list goes on. But Jesus entered this cycle of human failure with a divine purpose. He crashed out, knowing the consequences, to break the cycle and redeem us back to God.

Consider how Jesus consistently spoke truth, even when it put Him in danger. He told religious leaders they were children of the devil. He claimed equality with God, saying "Before Abraham was, I am." Each time, His words nearly got Him killed. But He kept speaking truth, kept loving, kept crashing out for our sake.

The ultimate "crash out" came at the cross. Jesus willingly laid down His life, knowing the pain and suffering it would bring, because His love for us was greater than His desire for self-preservation. As He said, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (John 10:18).

But the story doesn't end with Jesus crashing out. It continues with Him "dashing out" – out of the grave, that is. The resurrection is the triumphant declaration that love is stronger than death, that God's redemptive plan cannot be thwarted.

This brings us to a crucial point: God's love is not passive. It's not just a warm feeling or a nice idea. It's active, dynamic, and often disruptive. When God's love acts up, it changes everything.

Remember the story of Lazarus? Jesus, knowing the danger He was in, still returned to Judea when He heard Lazarus was sick. Even though Lazarus had been dead for four days, Jesus called him out of the tomb. This act of love – this "crashing out" – ultimately sealed Jesus' fate with the religious leaders. But He did it anyway, because that's what love does. It acts, regardless of the cost.

So what does this mean for us today?

First, it means we need to reconsider our understanding of love. God's love isn't just about warm feelings or kind words. It's about action, often at great personal cost. It's about "crashing out" for the sake of others, even when it's inconvenient or dangerous.

Second, it means we need to grasp the extent of God's love for us. You are loved not because you're lovable, but because God is love. He loved you at your worst, in your weakest moment, when you were still running away from Him. That's the kind of love that can transform lives.

Third, it challenges us to love others in the same way. Can we extend love to those who don't deserve it? Can we "crash out" for the sake of others, even when it costs us something?

Lastly, it invites us to respond to this love. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

God's love is acting up right now, calling each of us to repentance and relationship with Him. The question is, how will we respond?

In a world that often equates love with feelings or words, we're called to a higher standard. We're called to love like God loves – actively, sacrificially, and unconditionally. We're called to let our love act up, to crash out for the sake of others, and to dash out of our comfort zones to share this transformative love with the world.

Remember, the greatest lie we can believe is that we have time – time to get right with God, time to start loving others, time to make a difference. The truth is, now is the time. God's love has already acted up for you. How will your love act up in response?

Let's commit today to love radically, to love actively, to love like Jesus. Let's allow our love to act up, to crash out, and to dash out into a world desperately in need of God's transformative love. Because when love truly acts up, it changes everything.