Extreme Sports - part one

The biggest lesson that I have probably learned over the last four years through this journey with my wife around the issues of her health, has to be the extreme love of God!  It is a subject that I just can’t seem to get away from.  I have instantly been brought to tears when individuals have demonstrated this love to my wife and I and devastated when those from whom I expected it, did not.  Some of the most precious times of my life have been those late night/early morning rendezvous alone with God at the bottom of the stairs in our hallway.  At those times when I have found myself in the lowest reaches of hope, He meets me, places His loving arms around me and comforts and encourages me.

If not for the “exceedingly abundantly above all” of His Word, (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV) I would have given up long ago!  The repeated personal experiences of His extreme love that are demonstrated through the unlimited possibilities of God over the impossibilities of man (Mark 10:27) have fortified me with the strength of faith to continue on in the face of what medical science calls a lost cause.  This extreme love has given me the ability to keep a smile on my face, an encouraging word in my mouth, and joy in my heart when some around me have lost hope.  It is kind of funny – or maybe sad… that I have gotten more support with my stand of faith from some non-believers than I have from some Christians!  Our faith in what He says about my wife’s health has caused me to make certain decisions and/or act in certain ways that have been questioned by a few close to us.

The Apostle Paul also did many things that seemed outlandish to some of those he ministered to.  The explanation for his actions are stated in 2 Corinthians 5:14.  I like the way the Message Bible puts it.  Paul said, “Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes.  His love has the first and the last word in everything we do.”  Other translations say that Christ’s love controls, rules, overmasters, moves or compels us.  In the original Greek the word for all these terms means to “hold together, to press on every side, to hold fast.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s)

In other words, the love of God was so extreme in the life of Paul that it pressed in on him from every side and forced him to do what he did!  Webster’s definition of “compel” is “to drive with force or irresistibility.”  Paul is saying that the extreme love of God was so compelling in him that he could not resist it!

As I meditated on this today, I thought about the current popularity of Extreme Sports.  In some respects I am always amazed at what would drive people to risk their lives to do some of the extreme activities that they participate in.  It is almost like they are driven to go beyond the natural laws of nature or in other cases, against the accepted laws of self-preservation!  But now… maybe I have a greater understanding of that irresistible tugging inside of them.

It is the same thing that the Apostle Paul felt and that YOU and I should be feeling and acting upon when it comes to demonstrating the extreme love and grace of God to those around us.  I have vividly come to see and experience the fact that God’s love is very much an action word!  And I’ve also come to understand that unless an individual actively knows through personal experience the extreme love that God has for them, that they will talk a good story but lack in corresponding physical actions toward others.

We’ll discuss all this a little further in the next couple of posts, but for now, I would encourage you to think about your views, understanding and personal experiences of the extreme love of God.  Is this extreme love a driving force in your life?  Has this love moved you to act in extreme ways toward others?  I have to tell you, that the events of the last four years have totally rearranged my way of thinking and acting.  In fact, I am finding myself to be more of a “driven” man than ever before!  His extreme love as demonstrated in the truth and faithfulness of the possibilities of His Word drives me to believe and act in accordance to what He says about my wife’s and my future, not the worlds viewpoint.  How about you?  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What EXTREMES am I expecting today?”