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God’s Love (Rejection – Part 2)
By Mike Rule

I have received some interesting responses on my article “Rejection?” from a couple weeks ago. One comment was that our view of Love is wrong; that we have come to view love as a warm and fuzzy experience. It went on to say that we cannot view the scriptures any way we want but must accept the wrath, anger, and judgment of God to be what they are. We cannot turn them into something we feel better about.

I can understand the lenses through which the article I wrote must have been viewed, but that is not what I was saying at all. I was saying that every characteristic of God is an expression of love. We are too quick to attach human motives to God’s actions. But He clearly says,

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says Jehovah. (Isa 55:8)

1 John 4:8 tells us that yes, indeed; God is Love… and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 tells us directly what love is like, so we know that is what God is like. Let’s look at it.

God is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. God isn't selfish or quick tempered. He doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. God rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. God is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. God never fails! (1Co 13:4-8a – The word Love replaced with God)

At first glance it is hard to see how this can line up with the judgment and anger of God. But let’s remember,

These things you have done, and I have kept silence; you thought that I was like yourself, but I will rebuke you, and set in order before your eyes. (Psalm 50:21)

If love is the basis of God’s character, and if 1 Corinthians 13 describes Him, then where does His love fit with His judgment, wrath, and anger?

Have you ever been angry because you knew people were hurting themselves by the choices they were making? You were not really angry with them at all; you were angry over what they were doing to themselves.

I have taken care of several people who have struggled with self-abuse. I remember one instance where I became so angry over what a patient continued doing to herself that I took her to the place where she had been secretly beating her head on the wall and demanded that she do it openly. I was angry because I knew what she was doing was dangerous, but I gave her what she thought she wanted out of love. I knew it could cause permanent damage or cost her life. I also knew I could easily get into trouble over the situation. But I surrendered my own agenda and self-protection out of obedience to God. My anger was not out of selfish motives, personal agenda, or personal need. It was a righteous anger that flowed out of the heart of Jesus. I didn’t intend to punish her but to give her the freedom to do what she believed she wanted to do. I also wanted to display to her the intensity of my hurt [i.e. God’s hurt] over what she was doing to herself. It was not easy, but it was exactly the right thing at the right time.

Once she knew she had the freedom, and even a challenge, to hurt herself, she did not want to anymore. When I attempted to do it for her, she began to cry and fight back, telling me she did not want to do it anymore. It was a breaking point for her. It was the beginning of when she began letting go of her lust to hurt herself. She experienced my anger, saw my wrath, and received my judgment. It was the turning point in her struggle with self-abuse.

What if things hadn’t turned out the way they did? What if she had not surrendered? What if she had hit her head until she caused herself permanent damage? In that moment, I knew God wanted me to let her go as far as she wanted to. I was to let her do what she wanted, even if she knocked herself silly. Human love says never let someone hurt themselves… God’s love allows us freedom and dignity. He works to help us see our true desires without forcing His will on us.

Carolyn Arends recently wrote on this in her article “The Grace of Wrath” (Christianity Today, May 2008) “…if we truly believe that God not only loves, but is love, we must believe that there is no action that He can take that is not animated by love.” His ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. He is NOT altogether like us.