The paradox of love

Something from a sermon some weeks back keeps replaying in my mind. It was about prayer, an area where I very often fall short; whether or not we pray, we send God a message. It's just that when we don't pray, the message that we're sending God is that of "God, not now," or "God, You are not important in my life."

I've been sending God that sentiment a lot lately -- placing many other things above pursuing Him. I remember all of the times where I've felt neglected, or taken for granted, from my family and friends, and I am forced to recognise that I'm just as guilty, if not more. Sometimes I just cannot fathom why He takes me back over and over again, when in all His knowledge, He knows that I will most probably fail Him. I guess that's what they call true love.

***

To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too easily satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.

[...]

We can exaggerate about many things; but we can never exaggerate our obligation to Jesus or the compassionate abundance of the love of Jesus to us.

-- The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer