Throw Yourself In

Our world is obsessed with self-directed love. We are told from a young age to know our worth and trust ourselves; that we can do anything we put our minds to; that we only deserve the best. There is a proper love of self, but it must be rooted in the truth that we are made in the image of God. Without understanding that we are made for relationship with God, we are left on our own, trying to answer life’s big questions for ourselves. It’s no wonder we end up focused on self-directed love; ourselves are all we know, and so we become all we love.

If we find ourselves wondering whether there is a point and purpose to the world, Christmas answers “Yes!” We are been made in God’s image, but have sinned and fallen short of that glory (Romans 3:23). But God’s Son, who is a perfect reflection of his image, came in love to restore that image in us. Through faith in Jesus, we can discover how we fit into the world’s purpose; we are restored to relationship with our Maker, and our self-directed love is redirected into love of our neighbours.

Sinclair writes, “In Christ, we enter a ‘new creation’, where life begins to make ultimate sense (2 Corinthians 5:17). And since we have found our true identity in Christ, we are no longer left to our own devices to try to discover who we really are. Here is a neat little summary of what happened at the first Christmas from the early fathers of the Christian church: ‘Christ became what he was not in order that we might become what we were not.’ In order to fill us, the Son of God emptied himself; and in order to give us life, the Son of God became obedient to death…”

The Son of God being born as a man was a radical event; the message of the gospel is radical, a call to die to self and live for God and others. What might this look like? One aspect is putting other people’s needs and preferences before our own: “love … does not insist on its own way.” We must throw ourselves fully into the love of Christ and allow him to change our hearts to selflessly love others.

Today, consider what might be holding you back from throwing yourself into the love of Christ. What would selfless love, that doesn’t insist on its own way, look like for you? Praise God for sending his Son in the ultimate display of selfless love, and pray for opportunities to show that same kind of love to others.

Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson (published by The Good Book Company) available to buy at Eden Christian Bookstore or Amazon.