Have you ever “played games” emotionally in a relationship? You know those weird, immature, frustrating things people do to each other… i.e. not telling the whole truth, making the other guess what you’re thinking, saying “whatever” but meaning something else, flirtatious smiles and then nothing attached or the worst : silent treatment. I’m sure there’s more to the list, but here’s the sad thing…by the end of college, I had gotten good at playing the game.

A couple of the girls I dated “played games” emotionally like Babe Ruth hit home runs. They were good at it and I learned how to play them back or even predict them. I would, sadly, say I started to expect it and assume that was just part of a relationship. Yet, somewhere in the back of my mind I longed for honesty, even if hurt sometimes. I longed for true connection. Authenticity. Reality. Come on, just some good ‘ol straight-up communication. Love. Without strings or assumptions.

Then I re-met this girl named Emily. She changed all the rules, her love changed everything and I started to call to question everything that I had learned to expect in relationships. It felt weird and I didn’t know how to react. One time, I even told her that it’s ok if she “plays games” with me. What in the world?!?!? I was so programmed to look for that flirtatious “I’m-not-going-to-tell-you-everything” smile and then try to “figure her out.”

One day I said (slightly exasperated), “Well, how will I know if something’s wrong with us? What will be your sign or thing you do so I know to try and figure it out?”

There was a long pause.

She said, “Uh, what? No…NO. I’ll tell you. I’ll come to you. If I don’t say that there’s anything wrong, well, then there’s nothing wrong. I love you.”

This blew my mind. This couldn’t be true. What did I have to do? I felt like I was losing my powers or I was falling down some wormhole of an alternate dimension. This does not compute.

We had many more discussions and it didn’t always work perfectly. It took me months to relearn a new way of seeing relationships. The funny thing is… that’s what I had always wanted, but I had let myself get pulled so far away from it.  I’m so thankful God led me to her.

Jesus’ love changes everything.

I think it’s the same way with our faith and relationship with Jesus. I hear so often that many people can’t imagine a God who would do everything for us and want us so desperately that He would go to the depths of the oceans and the farthest reaches of the universe to save us. To die on a cross for us. To find us. To know us. To LOVE us.

The trouble is, receiving love and grace can sometimes be just as difficult as living it out. We start to think we’re not worthy to receive it. And truth is, we’re not. Jesus did the work. HIS love, changed everything. Not our ability to understand it. Emily is not perfect like Jesus, but she did her best to love me, even when I couldn’t figure it out. Her continued mercy and grace and patience with me, reshaped me.

Jesus’ love is perfect. Our part starts by confessing our sin, receiving His forgiveness, being showered with grace and love and it changes everything. In this relationship, our faith grows and Jesus will help you see yourself, not as a messy person, but as a loved child of God. It will change how you enter a relationship, how you parent, how you treat your co-workers. His love changes everything. Let’s love like Him.

1 John 4:19 – We love because he (Jesus) first loved us.

We love you, Jesus. Amen.

(lyrics printed below the video)

LYRICS

Love Changes Everything

Verse 1
I see His body breaking I see His fingers bleed I see the darkness tremble
At the ground below His feet And in the darkest hours there on Calvary
He was sweetly broken Broken beautifully broken beautifully

Chorus
So come out into the waters Come let the broken sing
Come all you sons and daughters His love changes everything
Come when the fear is fighting You finding the risen king
Come on and let the light in Your love changes everything

Verse 2
And when the heavens opened I saw the sins of men
Become a crown of glory As You died and rose again
And in the darkest hours And in the valley low
I will fear no evil ‘Cause You’ll never let me go
You’ll never let me go

Bridge
Your love Your love Your love changes everything
Your love Your love Your love changes everything
And none can overcome when death has lost its sting
Your love Your love Your love

Verse 3
And in the darkest hours And in the valley low
I will fear no evil You’ll never let me go You’ll never let me go

Ending
Your love Your love Your love changes everything
Your love Your love Your love changes everything
Your love Your love Your love changes everything
Your love Your love Your love

by: Jake Espy
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Songs Of Red Rocks Worship Publishing (Admin. by Red Rocks Worship)