John 14:21 "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."
Obedience from love!?! Not from fear? Not because of what God will do for me? Not out of a sense of guilt? Obedience from love- what a refreshing concept.
I think that my life of disobedience has been the result of obedience for all the wrong reasons. While I have made great strides in this area, I still find myself making decisions based on whether God will be "mad" at me or not. Will He "punish" me if I do A or B? Fleeting thoughts of "how will He reward me if I do C or D?" still flash through my mind.
Obedience motivated through love- In theory, "Of course". In practice, "Sometimes, most of the time, but not all the time".
For me the next logical question is, "How do I develop that type of motivating love?"
A nonexhaustive list (additions to this list appreciated)
1. Quiet, alone time with God.
2. Time spent in His Word.
3. Remembering and dwelling on His sacrifice for me.
4. Recalling and listing the MANY times He has protected and redirected me after I have made potentially devastating decisions.
5. Recalling and listing the myriad of blessings He has provided and continues to provide me.
6. Other _____________________________
I disagree with Blackaby on a point in his entry for today's verse. He writes on page 42 "Some claim, 'I love God but am having difficulty obeying him in certain areas of my life.' That is a spiritual impossibility." (italics mine)
I don't believe that "difficulty obeying" equates with a lack of love. In fact, one could almost argue the inverse. The fact that I recognize I have areas of difficulty attest to the my confessitorial spirit and can lead to a greater level of obedience in those challenging areas.
If difficulty with obedience in certain areas demonstrated a lack of love for God, then the New Testament apostles Peter and Paul would also be guilty of not loving God.
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