Loving God Completely

The maturing Christian life requires that we grow in our ability to love beyond ourselves.  Of course, coming to Christ often happens because of our self-love, as we reach out for a remedy for our sin and rescue from certain death.  But living this life of faith demands that we love much more than ourselves.  It requires the giving of ourselves – in fullness of love – to our God. The first and greatest command we are given by our Savior Jesus is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”  Leave nothing out.

This isn’t functional worship, given because, of course, God is God, and He deserves our praise.  We can’t just go through the motions and love God out of obedience.  Love requires connection and intimacy.  It requires desire.  Just as the love between a wife and a husband must be fueled by devotion, this love cannot depend on duty alone.  It’s not enough to love God “because I have to.”

We must give time and attention to our love for God, fanning the flames until it grows into such a burning blaze that it purifies us – our thoughts, emotions, words and actions.  For it is the fire of this love that makes the Christian life possible. It is this love that enables us to walk by faith and not by sight.  It is this love that shapes our obedience to the One who first loved us. It is this love that gives us the strength and the motivation to make sacrifices – our very lives, if necessary. 

Our great love of God – and our awareness of His great and perfect love of us – enables us to trust Him.  Thus, we can willingly and joyfully place our whole lives – our hopes and dreams, doubts and fears, talents and treasures, and even our relationships – into His Hands, with the full confidence of intimate trust in His love for us.  Here we find the remedy to the struggles of faith and trust that we all face from time to time.

Devoted, heartfelt, consuming love for God allows us to deny all else should anything or anyone attempt to come between us.  There is even greater ease in cutting away temptations if we are fervently clinging to Him.  Our passion for God should hold Him so close, allowing no space to exist between us that could make room for interference. 

This isn’t an issue of “try harder” or of mustering up our faith despite the circumstances.  This is a joyous invitation to be loved and to love all the more.  Not mechanically and obediently, but intimately and passionately, deeply and devotedly until we cannot help ourselves, and we cannot be separated from such love.

Such a love is possible, but only because God Himself has made it so.  1 John 4:19 reminds us that “We love because he first loved us.”  God, Our Creator, is the Author and Creator of love.  He IS love (1 John 4:16), and we only know what love is through His example and His gift.  Because we ourselves are loved – fully and completely by God – we can love Him in return.

Dear One, it is my fervent hope that I can spur you on to love the Lord your God with all your “everything”!  For this is what you have been made for – to receive and to give love.  May your love for God be rekindled until its fire fuels your faith.

A Prayer:

Lord of Love, thank You that You first loved me.  You have given me Your love and have showed me the way of love.  Please help me to love You as You desire and as You deserve.  May my heart esteem you above all things, and may I grow ever closer to You so that nothing can come between us. 

For Your Glory, Amen.