John 14:15 "If you love me you will keep my commandments."
Wow, that's straight and to the point isn't it? I mean, no gray areas in that one, we don't need a theologian to explain the Hebrew or Greek or tell us what it "really" means. If you love the Lord, you'll obey Him. I understand that verse. I even long to say that I absolutely, positively, ALWAYS keep his commandments but I would be lying to you if I said I was there. Oh, I can hear some of you gasping now. Well, try not to judge to quickly. You see God's standards are much higher than any of ours. Not only are they higher but they are fair. You see he doesn't see sin in degrees. You know, we've all probably heard that preached and may have even said an "amen!" here and there but the truth is for a lot of us we still think some are worse than others. You may say, I don't ever drink or curse but you gossip like there's no tomorrow. You may never miss a service and be on every committee there is but if you have no compassion you are still sinning. You are not obeying the commandments and according to John 14:15, not loving Christ like you should. You may hold those secret sins of bitterness or resentment. You may get your feelings hurt easily and feel you definitely are due an apology but let's get real, have any of us been wronged any worse than Christ? No one in scripture that I can find apologized to Him.
I've been really thinking about my life, where I am as a Christian, how am I serving Him...how am I obeying Him? It comes down to the simple observation of how much am I loving Him? You see, I can bite my tongue and not say what the flesh really wants to say if I love Him enough to allow the Holy Spirit to control me. I can serve my family without applause or appreciation if I look at it as serving Him, and doing it all because I love Him. I can be kind to a sister in Christ who certainly isn't going out of her way to be kind to me if I love Him enough. I can do anything as long as the love for my master is there. I will resist the urge to "fix" things in my kids and allow Him to work in them in His timing if I love Him enough.
I don't have to grit my teeth and dig my heels in to "will" myself to obey.....I just have to love Him, for then, I'll gladly do what He wants me to do. I don't want the devil to cause me to loose focus of that. Christ is easy to love, actually he made it possible for us to love Him. His word tells us that "We love Him because He first loved us".....Lord.....help me remember all you've done and all that you are and help me to love you more each day....for then I will obey.
1 comment:
Yes, Ma'am! I agree!! It's all about what we are focused on! His love is there for the taking, but we must take that step, we must draw nigh to Him, first! The Bible clearly points to several things that we must first do, then, Christ will come to us, but it is so sweet to know that we love him, not because of something we did, but because he first loved us! I have to work everyday at staying focused on His love and the cross. It sure puts things into perspective when you do!
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