We’ve all heard of “earworms”, annoying little ditties that get stuck on replay in our minds till we think we’ll go crazy. I am beginning to think not all earworms are bad. There is a chorus of an old hymn that recently popped into my head and stuck there. I’m sure I haven’t heard it in years, and yet there it was, ringing through my thoughts as clearly as if sung by a choir. It said, “Love lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, love lifted me.” Maybe it’s not just there to annoy me or drive me crazy. Maybe it is actually a message that I need to be reminded of.
I looked up the lyrics to the hymn since I couldn’t remember
them after so many years. It was meant as a call to salvation. but I don’t
think that’s the context my earworm is referring to. Becoming a Christian doesn’t
mean you no longer have storms to contend with. In fact, life is full of
billowing waves and angry seas punctuated by times of peace and refreshing. Do
we walk or sink during those storms, that is the question.
Love that is absolute and unconditional is the key. We don’t
find that anywhere else but in God. No matter how deep and enduring the love of
a spouse, or a parent, or a friend may be, it might fade in the face of
rejection or betrayal. It’s not easy to love with no strings or expectations
attached. Add to that, I’m sure I have moments when I am just plain hard to
love. We have a natural propensity for growing weary, giving up, or trying to
protect ourselves. Only God does it perfectly. He never gives up on us. While
we were still his enemies, he was willing to die for us. His love doesn’t
depend on whether we love him back, or how well we perform.
Struggling with the chains of poor self-worth, insecurity, depression,
shame, an inability to forgive, trust issues, a need to control, fears of all
sorts? All these things are common, even among Christians. I particularly
struggle with a need to perform well and a fear of failure. We get stuck in old
patterns of thinking and feeling and can’t seem to make any headway in our
transformational journey to become more like Jesus. If only we knew, really
knew, what it means to be loved absolutely and unconditionally. I don’t mean
just in our heads, but in our experience. That kind of love is what transforms
us and sets us free from our chains. We need to know and experience and dwell
in that perfect love.
There are so many people that I wish I could help to overcome
the things they struggle with. I wrack my brain trying to think of some advice
to give, some wise counsel or eloquent prayer that will heal them or at least
make a difference. It often leaves me feeling helpless, frustrated and depressed.
Maybe the best help I can give is to love them the way God does. I fail in that
on a daily basis, especially when I try to do it on my own. It isn’t about
trying harder or working at it. The only way I can love the way God does is to
soak up that love for myself until it overflows. Maybe that’s what I need to do
today, just sit in his presence and receive his love. It’s the most powerful
force in the universe. When nothing else could help, love lifted me, and it will
lift you too if you let it.
Was it an earworm, or was it the Holy Spirit? If it drives
me to God rather than driving me crazy, I think I know the answer to that. May I
be a sponge today and may the love I receive from God saturate me to such an
extent that it can’t help but overflow to everyone I come in contact with.
Image by S. Hermann / F. Richter from Pixabay
