You Can't Ask 'Why?'

I have just been to watch 'Anna Karenina' at an independent cinema. 

 

I wasn't particularly familiar with the storyline beforehand, but I enjoyed the film.  Especially the intricate and artistic sets and scenery, and the beautiful choreography.

 

Whilst I was watching, a couple of things really stood out: at one point in the film, Anna asks her lover why he loves her.  He replies by saying,

"You can't ask 'Why?' about love."

 

You can't ask 'Why?' about love.

 

This is something I really struggle with.  Both with God's love and with the love of other people.  I forever think that I have to give God and others a reason to love me - I have to earn their love somehow. 

 

Dr. Henry Cloud writes,

"Our 'lovability' rests on the ability of the one doing the loving, not on our merit [..] None of us deserves love that comes our way; we don't earn love.  It is given to us.  Approval can be earned, but love can't."

 

Nowhere is this seen more powerfully than in Jesus' death for us: He showed His love by dying and giving up His life for us, even whilst we were still living in rebellion against Him:

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

 

[Romans 5:6-8 NLT] 

 

We don't deserve God's love.  We can do nothing to earn it.  But our 'lovability' doesn't depend on us, it depends on God.  And He is a God of love [1 John 4:16].

 

You can't ask 'Why?' about love.

 

He loves us because He loves us because He loves us.