Christ As My Lover

         I have been raised in a Christian home all my life. Only recently, however, did I come upon a realization that has changed my entire outlook on Christ and who He is to me. I have been told to think of Christ as a Friend, as a Father and as a Savior, but never as a Lover. That thought was foreign to me.

         I had been to many Christian meetings and dedicated my life to Him more times than I can remember, but I never completely surrendered myself to Him. There was always something that I couldn't help but hold back. Deep within the center of me, I longed to have the same kind of completeness that other Christians seemed to have, but I felt hindered.

         I began to read my Bible every day and prayed fervently for God to show me my way in life. I tried to keep my thoughts from straying to worldly things and keep myself pure, but I was trying to do it on my own. Just when it seemed that I had gotten my whole life under control, a part of me seemed to step away from myself and survey me from head to toe. I would scoff and laugh at myself. What a fool I was to think that I could measure up to God’s standards! Every contemptuous thought and selfish action was pointed out before my eyes, staring out at me like bright red stains upon a whitened cloth. I had been told countless times that Jesus died for me, that He loved me, and gave Himself for me, but I had been told all that before and it began to sound like a cliché.

         Only recently did I come to understand the true meaning of that statement. When I am told that Christ loves me, what exactly does that mean? Here is what I have learned:
Christ loves me not only as a Father loves a child or as a Friend loves a friend, but also as a Husband loves a wife. The Bible says that we are The Bride of Christ. He created me just for the sole purpose that I may love him and He love me back. Because of this, I never have to be lonely again. I know that whenever I feel down, my Beloved is there to hold me and encourage me. He always thinks I’m beautiful and understands everything that I am going through more than any other. How could He not? He did create me after all, modeling me after what he thought was most lovely.

         Christ knows that because I have been raised in a sinful world, I am not going to be perfect. He doesn’t expect my life to be flawless, but He does expect me to try to be like Him. Gradually, because I love Him, I will start to mold my life after His. He doesn’t expect me to do that on my own. Like a Husband, He will always be there to help me when I need it. My sorrows will become his sorrows and my joys will become his joys also.

         After all, we are one.