When I think about God’s love for us it’s a bit hard to understand. Having never had children of my own, I believe in God’s love for us but I can’t even begin to grasp it.
I was reminded of the stomach-churning shooting in Aurora, Colorado at the theater over a year ago. There was one story I heard that stood out in particular. Matt McQuinn, age 27, reportedly jumped in front of his girlfriend and her brother in order to save them and was fatally shot. I have to wonder what went through his mind in that moment.
A lot of us would like to think we would die for a loved one but do you really know until you are put in the situation how you would react? I think it is the purest sign of what is truly in your heart: selfishness or selflessness.
There’s no question the act driving this man was an act of love. It may not have even been in a romantic way but it was love nonetheless. Why did he jump, knowing it would probably be the end of his life? The obvious answer would be to save his girlfriend and her brother. I believe it was more than that though.
I believe his love made him jump.
The amazing thing is about his decision to jump was that it didn’t take him that much time and if he had hesitated for a moment, those he had tried to save would have died. He didn’t even have to ponder the consequences of what would happen to him. All he knew was if he didn’t protect them they could die and, because his love was so pure and so great, he couldn’t let that happen. Did he want to risk his life or give his life? Probably not. If he had time to think about sacrificing his life would he have still? I imagine he would have but I don’t know. The reality is his love made it so that he was going to do everything in his power to protect them, even if it meant laying down his own life.
That’s the kind of love God has for us.
He sent his own son (whom he loved so dearly) to die for us. You can be sure that God has an even greater love for us than we can imagine, but just looking at this human example we can see how God’s love is big enough to not let anything happen to us that He won’t make work for our good (Romans 8:28). Just like what happened with Matt McQinn, God doesn’t even have to think about it, really (though I’m thankful He does). His love is so big He will do everything in His power to protect us. It’s too big to let anything happen. Furthermore, His power is so great we don’t have to wonder whether He has the power to do it.
Life can get hard, bad things happen, Satan is the ruler of this world and I don’t have an explanation that satisfies the hurt that comes from tough circumstances but I know this for sure: God is powerful enough to do anything for us and He loves us enough to not let anything happen to us that He can’t turn around. Rest in that assurance.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39
LVL 