Do you believe in a thing called love? This is a question we face as we grow into adulthood. Everyone has experienced a time where they loved someone and, in return, felt crushed. As a result, many of us put up shields and defenses to ward off love. We lost our belief in love. We tried love once. However, it left us broken, vulnerable, and defenseless. Love made us look like a fool. Ha! I am not falling for that again!
Not only do we close our hearts off to others, we also close our hearts off to God. We feel like God’s love let us down too. “Why would a loving God allow me to feel so much pain?” is the question we ask ourselves. Sadly, the answer we typically come up with is God must not love me. There must be something wrong with me that makes me unlovable. We then put up walls keeping people far away. Our trust shifts to ourselves. We will fix the parts of ourselves that are unloveable then the walls we put up limiting love can safely come down, only then will we be able to love without hurt.
To me this sounds like the story where the princess is locked in a tower for “safety.” The real motive was selfishness. If the precious treasure the princess possessed was given to others, others would have life and healing. The villain wanted to keep the life and healing all to herself. When the princess finally does venture out of the tower, instead of finding danger, she finds that the villain was the one who claimed to have her best interest at heart.
Love is not the enemy
The villain has done a good job making us believe that love is dangerous. That it will cost us the precious treasure we carry. Satan has given us many false ideas about what love is in order to remain hidden. We think love crushes us but in reality the enemy crushes. Check out Psalms 143:3-4.
“For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is distressed.”
Does that verse accurately describe broken-heartedness to you? It is the enemy’s schemes that bring us to broken-heartedness. Once we identify the enemy, we are better prepared to defend ourselves.
Love is a shield
When we lose our belief in love, we turn to our own strength to carry us through. We depend upon ourselves to fix the situation or to fix ourselves. Unknowingly, we turn away from what actually defends and shields us. Psalm 33:13-22 reveals our true defense.
“The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”
God’s steadfast love defends. We no longer have to live in the enemy’s prison of fear.
Love is the key
Love is the key that unlocks the enemy’s prison. Jesus came to set the captives free. He set us free by loving us so much He took the pain of the cross for us. Wait… Jesus suffered on a cross because of love? There you have it; love does crush. No, it was the enemy that demanded the price of the cross. It was love that made Jesus willing to pay it. Through paying the price, Jesus set us free. He destroyed the enemy and is now seated with God. It was Jesus response of love that gave Him the victory.
Are you tired of feeling like you are locked in a tower? Are you weary from trying to wield your own defenses? Maybe it’s time to break free and at last see the light. 😉 Love is not your enemy. It is your defense. It is the key to life and healing. We have a special magical treasure to share. That treasure is love. I want to close with this empowering quote from Francine Rivers book Redeeming Love:
“Love the Lord your God, and love one another. Love one another as he loves. Love with strength and purpose and passion and no matter what comes against you. Don’t weaken. Stand against the darkness, and love. That’s the way back into Eden. That’s the way back into life.” ~Francine Rivers.
Leave a Reply