How do you say I love you to someone? Sure you express it with words. That is probably the most common way one human lets another know that they love them. But when we "really" love someone don't we take it a step further. Don't we do kind things for that person. Don't we do special things for that person that we don't do for others. Don't we make sure we don't do things that we know would hurt that person's feelings. And yet don't we still mess up sometime and hurt them anyway? If someone told you that the way you are loving your wife, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend is so "rule based" and "law like" would you agree with them, or would you explain that all of those things you do and don't do is just simply another way for you to show that person how much you love and respect them. I think we even use the term sometime...."those are simple acts of love". So we go beyond saying the words "I love you" and display our love through the way we conduct ourselves.
So if this is how we are when it comes to loving another human, then why is is so hard for people to grasp the way our lives should look to show God that we love Him? If loving your spouse means that you don't cheat on that spouse, then we obey and respect that. However, it showing God that we love Him means we should not do certain things in our life, then all of the sudden we need someone to show us that those things are wrong. And don't get me wrong, we have all been at a place in our walk with God where the need to understand was there and possibly the desire to just show God love wasn't as strong yet. But eventually I think God's desire is for our hearts to be the reason we are letting Him change the way our lives look, and not let our minds be the reason. God is a very, very loving God, but He also made it very clear in His Word how much He despises sin. So knowing this about God, wouldn't one of the biggest ways to show Him our love back to Him be to cut out anything the resembles sin, draws us closer to sin or could cause us to sin? Isn't this just like not putting yourself in a place to be cheating on your spouse because you love your spouse. Why put yourself at risk of messing up when you know there are things you can do to assure that you don't mess up. And I'm not talking about perfection....as much as I am a believer that we are to strive for it, God knew we could not achieve it the way Christ did, so He offered up His son as a way to forgive us for those times we do mess up. But again, just like I would hope you wouldn't not continue to purposely hurt your spouse even if they forgave you, we shouldn't purposefully try to hurt God either. We don't cut things out of our lives because their is a book of rules or laws that says "you won't get into heaven if you do this or that"......we do it to say "God, you showed me your love is the biggest way you possibly could, Your Son. So I want to demonstrate my love to you by making choices and living a life that is pleasing in your eyes". Then that's it.....that's really it...that statement is what motivates you to do the things you do.....and not do the things you don't do. Not because your mind is convincing you of right or wrong, but because your heart is driven to show Him love with your life!
God, Thank You for the love that You continue to show us as we mess up....and as we grow. Thank You that You DON'T give up and that Your love, grace and mercy is new EVERY day! I personally pray that the choices I make in my life will be pleasing in Your eyes and that You can see that it is the love in my heart for You that drives me to do the things I do. Please help me keep my heart free from the things the world wants to weigh it down with, so it can stay filled with the love of and for Christ. In Jesus name, Amen
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