Do you love?

You say you love the Lord but are you patient with him, or do you want things in your time, trying to make things fit or trying to seek the end to what you want instead of waiting on Him?

Are you kind to Him? Or do you obey begrudgingly, do you complain about your circumstances or the portion you’ve been given. Not realizing that God is good in all things, that He’s working in everything for your good, to His glory. That’s why we give thanks in everything.

Are you generous with Him? Or do you bring your tithe and that’s enough? Do you help other’s for His sake? We’re talking about envy here. The opposite of envy is generosity so do you give cheerfully of what you have or do you rationalize that God knows you need everything you have and couldn’t possibly do more?

Are you humble before Him? Or do you boast – outwardly, or even in your heart for the things you do and the things you have done, reminding God of all you have sacrificed for Him? Are you proud?

Are you honoring God by honoring others? Or do you honor only those who have earned your respect?

Are you not self-seeking? Are you seeking God’s will for you life or are you really deep down praying that YOUR will be done? That your plans would be blessed? Are you willing to follow God, even at the cost of your own dreams? Are you even willing to set your dreams aside and really pursue God for what He wants to do through you?

Are you slow to anger with God? Or do you become frustrated with His plan and with the people He has put in your sphere of influence? Are you angry with your past and the path He’s laid out for you? Questioning why he couldn’t have given you an easier lot?

Do you keep no record of wrongs? Can you count the times your prayers have seemingly gone unanswered. Can you remember how long you’ve been praying that same prayer, and does it make you feel weary? Does it make you wonder where He is? Do you ever wonder why others seem to be so blessed and for you, everything is just – difficult. Even if outwardly, you praise Him and say that you know he’s good. Are you keeping track of when He’s good and when He isn’t good enough?

Do you take no delight in evil? Or are you praising Him for the blood of Jesus and allowing His work to excuse that sin you refuse to lay down?

Are you rejoicing with the Truth? Even when the truth doesn’t affirm your desires or validate your feelings?

Are you protecting Him? Do you keep away from the appearance of evil, do you rebuke ALL kinds of abuse, injustice, and mistreatment outside and inside the church – or are you satisfied with Him just protecting you?

Do you trust him? Or do you claim to know he is trustworthy but still hold tightly to things of this world. Never having to find out if he really is?

Do you expect Him to move, to heal, to answer, to be who He says He is and do what He said He will? Or do you cross your fingers and “hope” His Word is true?

Do you persevere, persistently seeking Him despite difficulty or delay? Or do you give up on people or give up on what you thought God called you to because something got in your way and you think maybe you were wrong?

Do you love God? Or do you just love to remind Him that He loves you?

This isn’t condemnation, this is self-examination. Of course our Father loves you, there isn’t a thing you could do or not do, or think or feel that will ever change that, and that is wonderful news. But if you tell God you love him but don’t do what God says love is, is that a lie? If your friend told you that they would keep your confession in confidence, but then didn’t, would you consider that to be a lie? The love God describes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is the way he loves you. He is patient with you, He is kind to you, He is generous to you, He honors you and even your right to refuse him, He is for you, He is slow to anger, He keeps no record or your wrongs, He doesn’t delight in evil but seeks to correct you, He rejoices with the Truth, He protects you, He entrusts to you, He EXPECTS goodness from you, and His love for your perseveres against all odds.

The gospel should transform you to one who is operating in and out of His love, the love He defines. Coram Deo and Coram Mundo. Toward Him and toward others. Love has nothing to do with the watered down version we associate with feeling good. I feel good knowing that God forgives me, that I belong to Him, that I am His daughter and all the benefits that His love provides. The fruit, the gifts! It’s good for me and ‘good for me’ feels good TO me.

I think it’s good to remind ourselves that God is good. And that He loves us. For sure. But I think our culture gets stuck on this cycle of “God for me” what does God want to do for me? But we weren’t created so that God could have pets that he blesses as we run around living for ourselves. We were created to glorify Him. And the only way we do that is by being restored to who we were created to be. That means transformation. That means, seeking God and trusting that he has a plan specifically designed for you, and being patient as he grows you into the person who can accomplish all the tasks he has set aside for you to do. That means, silencing your inner critic that tries to internalize or rationalize why people are the way they are and why things don’t work out the way you want them to. That means not just changing the way you dress and talk, going to church each week, and deciding that how other people live their lives is unacceptable – but truly repenting for your sins AND your iniquities, learning the Word of God and holding accountable those in positions of power. If it doesn’t transform you, what kind of gospel is it?

And all of this, likewise is to be lived out to our neighbors. The word says “if you love me, you will keep my commandments” and what are they? It’s simple. Matthew 22:37 “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all they heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, the second is this love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no separating loving God from loving your neighbor. God says “whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”. So who is our neighbor? Who are we called to love? It’s an important question because of course we love the brethren, the church, but what about the people wandering outside the fold? The ones who don’t know Christ or may even reject him? What about the people whos views are detestable and ungodly? Are we commanded to show them this level of love? Or can we get a pass on those folks. They’re hard to love. They’re testing you constantly and they mock the living God, openly. Its grievous. This question is specifically asked in the Bible and thank God! Jesus responds to the question “who is my neighbor” with the parable of the good samaritan. It is not the religious or the believer or the ones who are like them that Christ points out as the neighbor but the one who shows mercy. This means that everyone is our neighbor, to whom we show mercy. And by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us we have the ability to show mercy so what possible excuse could we have except that we perhaps don’t really love God.