Loving God And Being Loved By God
It is my belief that most of our inability to love God is based on lies we believe about Him…lies often formed in our own wrong belief system according to what we have experienced at the hand of men or circumstances…and a misunderstanding of the Word and God’s true nature.
He Loves Me? He Loves Me Not?
One of our greatest hindrances to loving God is in believing for some reason or other we are not loved. How can we truly be intimate with someone we aren’t sure loves us. Today He loves you right this moment, but what about the next moment…what about tomorrow?
He loves me…He loves me not is not a way to live. In fact it will wear you out to the point of immense frustration and sometimes to the point of no return.
We cannot afford to pick the petals of a daisy when it comes to determining our intimate love relationship with the Lord or how He feels about us. Love is not determined by moods, attitudes or actions. It simply is, therefore; we must instead walk in “Blessed Assurance…Jesus Is Mine.”
Picking petals says love is subject to change and is based on one’s actions…and not based on the shed, eternal blood of Christ in whom there is no shifting shadow. He cannot and will not change.
In believing He changes in His love toward us according to how we behave or don’t behave reduces God to little more than a daisy who is picked at the whim of man. Seems tough…yes, but it is the truth. We must never reduce God to our understanding…never reduce Him to being like mere men.
Remember, He cannot change His mind and He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; James 1:17; Romans 11:29).
Like Undercurrents
Often these beliefs are subtle and run like an undercurrent ready at a moment’s notice to sweep us away into doubt and unbelief. We tend to believe our heavenly Father thinks unkind things about us based on own negative thoughts…thoughts which seem to harass us day after day as they compete with the Word of Truth. We often ascribe the very same thoughts to Him we are thinking about ourselves.
If we are not loved, how can we love?
True Identity
The truth of the matter is we must come to know our true identity is in Christ…it is Christ in us the hope of glory…given to us through the death and resurrection…clothing us in the righteousness of Christ alone…not works…not performance…not duty…coming to a revelation by the Spirit to the point the eyes of our hearts are opened to the mystery of being loved because He is love.
Yes, He is love and can be nothing else. This truth supersedes all our weakness…all our fears…all our wrong beliefs…and yes, all our actions both good and bad.
Can You Imagine? I Can
Can you imagine being loved even when you do not want to change or when you never plan to change. It is in this love where a servant is transformed into a friend, for He no longer calls us servants but calls us friends who are privileged to know what He is doing.
This seems to go against every thought…every practicality of life and training we have received. How can we be loved in intimate fashion? How can our time and intimacy be so coveted or desired by Him? What a mystery…a mystery He wishes to reveal to all His sons. When? Right now!
As we explore intimacy with the Lord in a busy and troubled world, we must first answer some basic questions about our love relationship with the Lover of our soul. We must remove all the barriers of unbelief about Him who dwells in us and calls us His temple…His abiding place. We must dismantle all lies one by one until the Truth completely sets us free.
How amazing it is to be loved by Him in spite of all foreknowledge about our actions both good and bad. What freedom to be all He has called you and me to be without the pressure of performance, duty or fear of failure.
What Do You Think?
Take some time and share some reasons beyond knowing one’s identity in Christ and Christ alone which have the power to rob love…have the power to rob intimacy between you and the One who loves you…who loved you before you ever were even though He knew all you would ever do.
Share your thoughts on being loved before the foundations of the world and what is means to you personally. In doing so, you will encourage others. A Comment Box is provided…please feel free to share your thoughts.
And he replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. And Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live [enjoy active, blessed, endless life in the kingdom of God] (Luke 10:27-28 Amplified)