One of the earliest things we learn in church is that we are to love God with everything we are. The more I thought about it, the more difficult and impossible it seemed. It’s easy to love something or someone if the person always gives in to us or serves our needs. But with God, we are to serve Him and His purposes, not ourselves!
Yet this is the command of Christ – we are to love God most. The Lord must be the most precious person in our lives. It must be reality and fact, not just mere mental agreement. Perhaps the question below will help us. We need to be honest before the Lord.
‘Do we love God above everything in our lives?’
Really take some time to consider this. If our answer truly is “Yes”, that is wonderful! Keep on walking with Him in love and trust. But if our answer is “No”, do not allow guilt and self-condemnation to creep in. It is important to understand the inner core of who we are.
While I grew up in church and had encounters with God, deep down I always knew that God was not the number one love in my life. You may ask, “how would you know that?” It’s simple. If something or someone takes the number one place, the time, effort and affection given to that top priority will be tremendous.
I recall loving the sport basketball. So, I followed the teams and players and knew a lot about the game. Why? Because my heart was there. And as Jesus rightly said, “where your heart is, there your treasure is also.”
The confusion that Christians may have is that they hear lies from Satan that God understands why we do not spend time with Him or center our lives around His Kingdom purposes. But those are all lies from the Enemy.
We are to love God above everything! That is the command of the Lord. If we know that it is not a reality in our lives at present, some things must change. Here are some practical things to kickstart our growth in love with the Lord.
1. Spend time with the Lord in His Word Daily
There is simply no substitute for this spiritual discipline. It must be cultivated in our lives or we will not grow in our love for Him.
2. Meditate upon Christ’s love for us through His cross
Knowing Jesus loves us in the mind is not enough. This wonderful truth needs to grow in our very hearts.
3. Show love to others without expecting returns
A true love for God will manifest in a love for others. The more we pour out His love to people, the more we are refueled in His love. It is also important to do acts of love especially for people that cannot benefit us in return.
These 3 ways are very powerful in how we can grow in the love of the Lord. It is my prayer that we will receive Christ’ love in such a way that produces true and genuine love for our wonderful Saviour and Master. Let us pray together!
Lord, we know You love us so much. Your life, death, and resurrection reveal Your love so abundantly. Forgive us that we do not love You in the way You deserve to be loved. Enable us to grow in love with You. Empower us to live a consecrated life because of Your love. In Your precious Name we pray, Amen!
