"No Matter What!"

Megan, my youngest daughter (pictured at left), was riding home from church with me one Sunday. It was just her in the car with me, as it is often the case that my wife and I have to drive separate cars to church due to my role on the worship team. So, whenever it is time to leave I may have any of our three children ride with me to Grandma's house (our Sunday afternoon tradition). This Sunday, it was Megan riding in the back seat of my car.

Megan is a cheerful kid, very talkative (at times), and has a matter-of-fact way about her. This particular day, we somehow got on the topic of love. As we were discussing this very deep topic (bear in mind, Megan is 3 years old), I simply stated, "I love you, Megan." Her immediate response was, "No matter what?" This took me a bit off guard because there is usually just a mirrored response of "I love you too" sent back my way. But on this day, Megan wanted me to qualify my love for her.

I said, "Yes, Megan. I love you no matter what." And on our conversation went to something else, something much less "feely" and into that realm of 3-year-old mind pinball. But Megan's question, "No matter what?" kept repeating in my mind the rest of our drive to Grandma's house. Do I love my daughter no matter what? Yes, I do, but do I always express this to her in understandable, tangible ways? I confess I don't...at least, not always.

I think there will always be some level of conditions on human love, maybe simply by the fact of sin being so woven into our nature. We naturally think of self first, thus we taint, in ever so subtle of ways, our ability to love unconditionally. We may express love when it is convenient or painless or comfortable. But my daughter wanted to know if I would love her no matter what! The truth is I do, but only when such love comes from beyond me, from a Source that is not stained with sin and its ugly self-centeredness. Such love must be from God.

I thought it would be interesting to think of my drive with Megan from God's perspective. He being at the wheel and me sitting in the back seat (after all, from God's view I'm sure I act like a 3-year-old quite often). God and I would be talking as He drove me down the pathways of my life. Then the discussion would turn to the topic of love, and God would be the one to verbalize His affection for me. And my first response would be to ask, "No matter what?" The question actually proves I do not fully understand the character of my Father. But His patience and love would be evidenced by His responding, "Yes, Jonathan. No matter what."

God's love is unconditional, not tainted by imperfection or selfishness. His love extends to us even in our most unlovable moments. Even when we lie, lust, steal, envy, swear, abuse, or even murder. God truly does love us NO MATTER WHAT! This love is not based on our behavior, but rather on God's unchanging, perfect character. It is unconditional because it comes from God, Who is Love.

I didn't lie to my daughter when I told her I loved her no matter what. She is precious to me and I would willingly lay down my life for her. But I know that my expression of unconditional love must originate from my faith relationship with God, for only God can offer the purest of unconditional love. And that is precisely the kind of love I want to shower on my daughter.

Expressing love,

jonathan