A Healthy Heart?

“No love of the natural heart is safe

unless the human heart has been satisfied by God first.”

Oswald Chambers

I’m sure everyone is familiar with the desire to be loved and the fear of being unloved, men and women alike. This is probably our greatest source of insecurity, whether or not we can always articulate it. In Proverbs 19:22, God identifies man’s main desire; “What a man desires is unfailing love, better to be poor than a liar.” The feeling to be loved and the feeling of not being loved demonstrate our innate need to be filled, only by God. We are not wrong to think we desperately need love: we do. We are wrong to think that we can make anyone love us the way we need to be loved.

The word desire in Proverbs 19:22 implies deep craving. Each of us craves utterly unfailing love- a love that is unconditional, unwavering, radical, demonstrative, broader than the horizon, and deeper than the sea! In the Bible, the phrase “unfailing love” is used 32 times, and each time, God is referred to as the only source of that love. Because the only way to have eternal life is to receive Him, God created us with a cavernous need that we would seek to fill until we found Him.

Searching for perfect, unfailing love in anyone else is not only fruitless, but also miserably disappointing and destructive, for you and for others. In the quest for unfailing love, if we unknowingly allow Satan to become our tour guide, the quest will undoubtedly lead to captivity and enslavement. I don’t think that our hearts, or even just my heart, can be healthy until it has been satisfied by the only completely healthy love that exists: the love of God Himself. Oswald Chambers said, “No love of the natural heart is safe unless the human heart has been satisfied by God first.” We are not free to love in the true intent of the word until we ourselves have found and accepted love, in Christ.

Throughout life, love is lost, love is taken away, love is changed, love is distorted, and love is not unfailing. It moved. It changed. It died. And it may leave us with wonderful memories, but it also leaves a hole. Only God’s love never fails. Agape love is referred to in 1 Corinthians 13:8, the love that God has given to us and the love that is exercised through us. He is the only One who is never overwhelmed by the depth and length of our need: how perfect and fulfilling is that? He is always willing to pour out His love on us and overflow our cups with His unfailing steadfastness.

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:8)  What a heavy burden is shattered when we awaken in the morning; bring our hearts, minds, and souls and all their ‘needs’ to God; offer Him our empty and wanting cups; and ask Him to fill them with Himself!

Imagine how different the days would be if our cups were filled by Christ first thing in the morning. Never lack company or affection, or worth or purpose, or joy or peace; the cup would be filled with perfect unfailing love. Paul said in Colossians 2:10, “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority,” you are completed in Him. What a blessing to experience this satisfying and fulfilling love, to not be in need, because you are overflowing with the love of Christ.

I want that love, every morning and throughout every day. I want to be filled and satisfied and accepting of the love of Christ Jesus. I want to overflow with love so that I can love in return, and know truly what it means to love the way Christ loves. I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my soul. Nothing else exists outside of Him.