Nothing Can Separate Us

Nothing Can Separate Us

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

In the darkness of the moonlit car, my emotions were roiling. Hurt, confusion, and frustration had me on a slow simmer that was quickly heating into a rolling boil.

It began earlier in the day when a dear friend admitted that she wasn’t always honest with me. Wary of women who have betrayed and hurt her in the past, she continually struggles with building close relationships, the vulnerability and fear of rejection too high a hurdle.

I tried to ignore my welling tears, even as I wondered: How many times do you have to say “I love you” before someone believes it? It’s hurtful to feel like I constantly have to prove myself, even after years of friendship.

But I’ve come to realize that while I may have an easier time trusting in human relationships, God has sometimes been an object of distrust for me. If life is good, my kids are behaving, and it’s a good hair day, God clearly loves me. But on days when I hear grisly abuse stories or horrific sex trafficking statistics, I wonder: If God is loving, how can he see a hurting world and seemingly do nothing?

All too often, how we relate to others in friendship mirrors how we view God. If we see our relationship with God as a true friendship—one based on the love and mercy demonstrated by Jesus’ death and resurrection—we understand why nothing can separate us from his love. Because we know we can trust God, we are willing to take the chance on trusting our friends. On the other hand, if we don’t fully trust or know God, we may transfer our distrust to other relationships, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Yet I wonder if God has the same question for us that I did for my friend: “How many times do I have to say ‘I love you’ before you believe me? You’re enough, just as you are.” As women who deserve to be unreservedly authentic in our friendships, let us begin by considering if we are allowing our view of God to influence the level of trust we’re willing to place in others.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Jot down a brief description of your relationship with God, considering whether you trust him and his love. Pray about how your perspective influences your relationships with others.