Consuming Love

I have had the opportunity to witness up close a couple of romantic courtships recently. I have come to the conclusion that these guys must have been thinking of their "friend" a lot during these courtships because there's a whole lotta talkin' goin' on.

Sidewalk Prophets has a song called You Can Have Me. In it they say, "When did love become unmoving? When did love become unconsuming?" Wow. If you really stop and think about that, isn't that SUCH a good question? (Or two questions...)

If romantic love can consume so much of our time and our thoughts, then certainly the love that we share with our Saviour should consume at least a little time. NoT! He is a jealous God and wants all of us. After all He is our life, it is in Him that we live and move and have our being. !!! What is wrong with the American church? Why isn't this love the driving force in our lives? Shouldn't it be? Yes.

In Ephesians, Paul shared two prayers that he was praying for them. I'd like to put one prayer here:

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in LOVE, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the LOVE of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" Ephesians 2:14-21 (emphasis mine)

It sounds like Paul knew something about consuming love and was praying that the Ephesians might know it, too.

In this epistle he is teaching the Ephesians about being IN Christ and about God getting the glory for everything. When our love for our Lord, who saved us from bondage to sin, is not consuming, are we dishonoring Him and His atoning sacrifice?

We may have the answer in Revelation, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." And to the Ephesians He sent this message, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first."

It is good to read these verses in context...it makes me think, "What ARE we doing?" A CONSUMING love is NOT lukewarm or cold. It moves us to action. What is better than being in love?

A consuming, moving, zealous love, that is what I desire.