Love's Attraction

By: Scott Tolhurst

Love is a tug. It pulls, draws, attracts and guides. It can be a slight nudge towards your favourite ice cream, summer shirt or vacation spot. It can be an irresistible force which magnetizes you towards family and friends. Like gravity, love will set the direction of our lives. So we best be careful about what we love.

Part of our spiritual journey is to discern the draw of our hearts and to discipline them towards life. The heart’s pull is not neutral or benign on it’s own. Our natural affections are broken and drag us every which way. So our love needs to be trained and refined. If not, we find ourselves towed to places that corrupt us. The challenge of our hearts is not to generate love but to escort our affections to their rightful place. The good news is that God Himself can steer our hearts in the right direction. "May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 These.3:5) God is stronger than our passions. God will harness my internal squad of squirrels and march them in formation to the very place I long to be. How is that possible? By following one single command.

Jesus said the most significant response we can offer Him is love. “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” Instead of  steering our heart to every possible need or opportunity, we are freed to the simplicity of a solitary love. When we choose to be drawn to His will and ways, we won’t have manage our hearts. Like a snowball rolling downhill, it will rush towards Him. Our love will direct us towards Him. Can my love be that strong?

I grant that my love at times is sporadic and skinny. I may feel like the negative pole of a magnet. But there is a positive draw. When my love grows faint, God is reaching towards me. God’s love has no weakness, variance or diminishment. He is drawn to us simply because He is the God who loves us. Nothing can suspend His attraction. The power of His positive love grabs my willing heart, even with its share of negativity and we become one. Love holds us until a day comes when there will be no time or space to cross. We will be united with our Lord. We will be united with each other. We will be satisfied forever.  With Him. Like Him. For Him. God’s grip is grace. His pull is our eternal pleasure.