All of Me

I heard a song called "All of Me" by Matt Hammit today and instantly fell in love with it. When I first heard it, I thought it was a love song and then I learned that Matt wrote it about his baby boy that they almost. All I could think about was, wow, he's right. We love with half of our heart and that's why it never works. We can't love with half of our heart and expect God to move. Anyway, here's the lyrics:

All of Me


Afraid to love
Something that could break
Could I move on
If you were torn away?
And I'm so close to what I can't control
I can't give you half my heart
And pray He makes you whole

(Chorus)
You're gonna have all of me 
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me is where I'll start

I won't let sadness steal you from my arms
I won't let pain keep you from my heart
I'll trade the fear of all that I could lose
For every moment I share with you

Chorus

Heaven brought you to this moment, it's too wonderful to speak
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me
So let me recklessly love you, even if I bleed
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me

Chorus (X2)

It's where I'll start 


Hearing this song just really made me think about what love really is. Love for my spouse, love for my children, and most importantly, love for my Maker. I think we love with half our heart and that's why many times our love doesn't last. We don't give everything we are into our relationships. We give half of us because of fear, pride, pain, sorrow, etc. Relationships fail because we only put half of us out there so the other half doesn't get hurt. Loving is scary because there's always the chance that you'll be hurt. Real love takes all of us, and if we don't invest all of us, then it's not real love. It's an imitation. 


What the world offers us is a cheap imitation. It is conditional- it says if someone isn't meeting your needs, then don't meet theirs. It's unforgiving. It keeps track of all of the wrong you've done or all of the wrong they've done to you. It's failing. When it does't work, it's over. Gone as quickly as it began because it's based on feelings and feelings come and go. Most of all, it's temporary- it loves for a time and then it moves on when the "feeling" isn't there anymore. 


The Bible says we only know how to love because He first loved us. Yet, as much as we love people with half our heart, we love Him with less. Sometimes, we just give Him our leftovers (Malachi 1). Yet our great Creator and Father CHOOSES to love us despite our inability to love Him fully. He says that we are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), His creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), His Bride (Revelation 19:6-8). Our love relationships here on earth are but a picture of what will be. For now, we only see in part, then we shall see face-to-face. For now, we only know in part, but then we shall know fully 
(1 Corinthians 13: 9-12). 


So how do we love people with all of us? Love your Creator first. Love Him, CHOOSE Him. Allow Him to love you fully and allow yourself to experience His love in the fullest sense. Then, love people with His love. Instead of holding half of your heart back, choose to love people with all of His love inside of you. Why? Because His love is unconditional. It loves even when people fail you and don't meet your needs because His love is more than enough. His love is forgiving. It wipes the slate clean and loves despite the wrong that you've done or the wrong that's been done to you. His love is unfailing. There is never a point when it doesn't work. It ALWAYS works. And when it seems like it's not working, take a step back and really examine if it's His love or if it's you that's not submitting to His love. Most of all, His love is not temporary, but ETERNAL. His love lasts beyond a feeling. His love lasts beyond this lifetime. 


His love is worth every falling tear, His love can face any fear, His love can mend any broken heart. So may we proclaim to recklessly love, even if it bleeds because His love is worth all we have to give. Give all of you to Him and you'll NEVER be disappointed because hope does not disappoint! (Romans 5:5)