As Good As It Gets

I remember a movie with Jack Nicholson called "As Good As It Gets." 

In it Nicholson plays a character who is very wealthy but lonely. He always struggled with holding people at a distance because he was unable to be vulnerable enough to let them in. Until he met this waitress who captured his heart. And even though he really wanted to be close to her, he seemed to always make a mess of things- saying or doing something that would hurt or frustrate her. 

But in the end, against all odds and probability, love won out. 

It makes me think of our relationship with Jesus. We have this longing to belong, to be accepted and loved, to have our hearts filled with something that helps us to see past ourselves and experience something bigger, something brighter, and yet we have this innate ability to say things or do things that get in the way. We try to run and hide from God because we see just how messed up and broken we are inside. 

But this is where the love Jesus simply blows my mind: Regardless of how much we mess up, hide or try to push him away, just like Nicholson did- His love for us just won't stop.  And when it overwhelms our hearts everything changes. 

Just listen to how love had changed Paul's heart when be wrote:

Philippians 1:3-11 NIV

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

The love of Jesus had broken down this man's heart and filled it with such a deep affection for others- a reflection of the same affection that Jesus had for Paul. 

It's hard to express how wonderful this life and love is that Jesus wants to share with us!  It's hard, but maybe it's appropriate to say. . . .

It's about as good as it gets. 

Hope that today you are ambushed with the love of Jesus. 

BT

Pastor Brian Tysdal

Rock of Ages Church

Saskatoon, Sask.