Runaway Bunnies

I was reading Ed Welch again and came across a great analogy that I want share with you. It is found in Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest. The topic is love - how much we give to others versus how much we receive from others. Should we aim for 50/50, 70/30, 49/51? There definitely is a cost to a lopsided relationship. So the question raised by Welch is this: "Which do we really need more of - to give love or receive it?" Surprisingly, Welch says that Scripture seems to favor an imbalanced relationship:

"Not that we aspire to have our friend or spouse love us less, but that "in humility we consider others better than ourselves." (Phil:2:3) When the kingdom of God is ruling our hearts, we aspire more to serve than be served, honor more than be honored, and love more than be loved. This doesn't mean that we don't care about being loved; it simply means that we always want to outdo others in love. Do we run the risk of a lopsided relationship? Absolutely. That is the relationship we have with God - he always loves first and most. We are the runaway bunnies whose mother always pursues us. Throughout Scripture God is the one who loves more than he is loved. He always makes the first move. He advertises his extravagant affection for us even when we are indifferent or opposed to him."

I think this is right, and so I challenge all of us today to be mommy bunnies and outdo ourselves in love to those around us. Let me know how it works out!