So I’ve been trying to get be a little more healthy with my lifestyle. So, I got a bicycle on birthday and have been riding it as much as possible. The one time that this has come in handy is for Sunday morning. I generally have to be at the theater for church before Shannon on Sundays (to run lights, sound, do announcements or to just hang out). So I’ve been riding my bike.

This way I’m being healthy and plus we aren’t paying gas for two cars to go to the same location. So this last Sunday, I decided to ride my bike again…but I didn’t feel like riding all the way to the theater (it’s about 4 miles and pretty much all up hill). So I decided to ride my bike to the bus stop and take the bus to the theater.

I tell you all this to tell you this story. As I was waiting at the bus stop for the bus to show up (and trying to catch my breath), I started to evesdrop on these two guys conversation. They were talking about the usual things that you talk about while waiting for the bus: weather, women, and the sort. In there conversation, on guy begins to tell the other one how his father had passed away two months ago.

He stated it in the same way that you would say the sky is blue or the grass is green. I don’t know if he was just numb from the situation or what. But what caught my attention was where the conversation went from there. He started to talk about how his dad is in a better place now. Now I’m not one to place judgment on whether or not his dad is in a better place. So I won’t. What got me to thinking was the statement “a better place.”

We hear people say it all the time when someone passes away. This made me realize that there is a common thread among people. We understand two things. The overall state of being here on earth is pretty crappy, and there is a better place.

By this time I was sitting on the bus listening to the homeless guy in the seat across from me talk about his Louis Lamor book to a friend (my parents use to listen to Louis Lamor books on tape when we took long trips…wow that brought back memories). I started to think to myself, “If people already know there is a better place and that it’s crappy hear on earth, then I don’t need to point that out. In fact, to do so is kinda rude. My place is to point to the One who gets you to the better place. Better yet He can turn your crappy earth into a better place now.

“It was something I had thought of before…but it took God using a random man at a bus stop to remind me.

Ok so I was brought up being taught that God’s love has no conditions to it. It is boundless. It is eternal. He freely gives it without holding back.

I was also taught that we as followers of Him need to love the same way. It should be boundless. It should be eternal. We should freely give without holding back.

 

Problem…

 

I’ve never seen this. Not once. When I see love in peoples lives (even my own especially my own), it has always had a condition attached. A Ill love you “if” or a I’ll love you “to”

 

Examples…

 

Ill love you if you are pretty.

Ill love you if you are nice.

Ill love you if you change your lifestyle.

Ill love you if you love me.

Ill love you to make myself feel better.

Ill love you into the kingdom.

Ill love you to show Jesus love for me.

Ill love you…(fill in your own intimate if or to here if you would like)

(Now we never say these out loud, but once again actions speak louder than words.)

 

Like I said…conditional. I have yet to see unconditional love played out in life (even my dogs love is conditional…if my wife isn’t in the room I’m the greatest person in the world…but if my wife is in the room Im second best…and if there is a treat in my wife’s hand…then I’m third).

So this got me to thinking…is Gods love truly unconditional? Is it all those things that I’ve been taught. Does it have no bounds? And after much contemplation, I must say no. Gods love IS conditional.

 

From what I have seen in my life, the lives of others, and in His Word, God’s love has one condition. There is one thing that God requires of a person before He will love them…

Existence.

 

God’s love is only given to those who exist. I have yet to see God love someone who does not exist. It just hasn’t happened. No matter how hard I have looked (and I’ve looked pretty hard), the only people that I have seen God love are those who exist.

 

So this got me to thinking..my conditions are all screwed up. My conditions are lame. I make excuses for my lack of love…but Gods only excuse is that someone doesn’t exist.

So this gets me thinking even more…who exists in my life that I’m not showing love that is boundless, eternal, without any “if’s” or “to’s”…cause I need to make some major changes in my relationship with them…

 

Today.