True Love is Free

"True love can hold you close.
True love can let you go."

It only makes sense that false love ensnares and traps. Is this not what the enemy does with our trials and struggles? Does he not tie us down, hold on to us with iron grip and digging fingernails, and then inspire us to do the same with our friendships, our lovers, and our money? Our bags of chips from the vending machine? Our energy? Our time?

Looking back on the path behind me, so many of my darkest, coldest moments towards God and others have been when I, out of “love” for something, have held onto it so tightly that I couldn’t cling to Jesus’ freedom-truth instead. A lot of times what I hold onto is my own pride. 

God’s love is so very counter-cultural. He, out of pure love, chooses to let us have pure love of our own towards Him. This means He has to give us the freedom to either hold Him close or let Him go. 

So he does. He lets us fly free like sparrows, earnestly longing that we come to understanding that we’re safest where we truly belong with Him.

But the freedom must be, so when/if we do come back to Him, all of the prodigal love is true. True hope of redemption only resides in friendships when this love wins.