A group from my church has been reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love. We have recently wrestled with the question, What does it mean to love Jesus? We talk loving Jesus alot, we sing about it in songs, and I know that many of us have experienced it, but how do we define it? Forgive me if the following raises as many questions as it does answers!
As I talk to fellow believers about our walks with the Lord, often time they say things are going well or not well because "I have (not) read my Bible and prayed daily." I often analyze my walk in the same way. Now these are good and necessary spiritual disciplines without a doubt, but we can't say that daily Bible time and daily prayer is the definition or sum of loving Jesus. Also the following verses and comments affect my thoughts...
John 14:15- "If you love me, you will keep my commandments..." This doesn't means that the essence of love is necessarily commandment-keeping. Or does it? It seems that commandment-keeping is a result of love for Jesus. For example, "If I love Kelley, I will pray for her..." Praying for her is not the sum or essence of love, but a result (or proof) that love is present. Maybe, maybe not?
1 John 5:3- "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." Here it seems that John does equate love for Jesus with obedience/commandment-keeping. However, he adds that this obedience happens in such a way that it is not a burden! What does that mean? True love for Jesus, it seems, is obeying His commands- and being glad to do it! But then, if that's the case, how do we ever love Jesus through trials and hard times that are very "burdensome"?
1 Corinthians 13:3- "If I give away all that I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." This seems to argue against many definitions I've heard of "agape" love, that it is simply and heartlessly choosing to sacrifice. Paul uses grand examples of willing sacrificial acts (giving away all possessions, giving oneself over to horrible death), but says that those crazy things can be done - without love.
I ask and struggle through all this because I am simply unsatisifed with equating my spiritual walk and love for the Lord with a few daily hoops to jump through. Feel free to comment.
As I talk to fellow believers about our walks with the Lord, often time they say things are going well or not well because "I have (not) read my Bible and prayed daily." I often analyze my walk in the same way. Now these are good and necessary spiritual disciplines without a doubt, but we can't say that daily Bible time and daily prayer is the definition or sum of loving Jesus. Also the following verses and comments affect my thoughts...
John 14:15- "If you love me, you will keep my commandments..." This doesn't means that the essence of love is necessarily commandment-keeping. Or does it? It seems that commandment-keeping is a result of love for Jesus. For example, "If I love Kelley, I will pray for her..." Praying for her is not the sum or essence of love, but a result (or proof) that love is present. Maybe, maybe not?
1 John 5:3- "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." Here it seems that John does equate love for Jesus with obedience/commandment-keeping. However, he adds that this obedience happens in such a way that it is not a burden! What does that mean? True love for Jesus, it seems, is obeying His commands- and being glad to do it! But then, if that's the case, how do we ever love Jesus through trials and hard times that are very "burdensome"?
1 Corinthians 13:3- "If I give away all that I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." This seems to argue against many definitions I've heard of "agape" love, that it is simply and heartlessly choosing to sacrifice. Paul uses grand examples of willing sacrificial acts (giving away all possessions, giving oneself over to horrible death), but says that those crazy things can be done - without love.
I ask and struggle through all this because I am simply unsatisifed with equating my spiritual walk and love for the Lord with a few daily hoops to jump through. Feel free to comment.
Ryan, I believe that we love because He first loved us. I love because He first loved me. My love is in response to His. And I don't even mean, oh, Jesus showed His love on the cross; therefore I automatically love Him back, because I can't on my own respond even to His amazing love without receiving it with more than head knowledge of His beautiful demonstration of His love on the cross.
ReplyDeleteYou are, as you said, raising some really good questions. The "hoops" of disciplines -- studying, prayer, worship, fasting, fellowship, memorizing, and many more -- are times we intentionally place ourselves before God. It can feel rote or like I'm trying "to do" to improve myself or grow myself, but it's important, I believe, to express dependence on the Holy Spirit as we sit before Him and consecrate more and more of our minds and our activities to Him.
You and Kelley fell in love by being together, getting to know each other, listening to each other, doing activities together, admiring each other, etc. This relationship with Christ is a relation-ship, a journey of relating!!
I so know what you mean re, do I love Jesus? Do I follow Jesus? Having been receiving His love more and more and more, I am saying lately to Him, "I love you too," a love that grows deeper but a love that I cannot muster on my own.
Oh, now you have me thinking and I am supposed to be editing. :)
Oh, one more thing. Regarding our "to do's," serving, etc., obeying, if you picture walking w/ God as a narrow path that drops off on each side, one side is the error of saying I do this all on my own to earn the favor of God. God loves me because I do this and this and this and this. I am in charge of my own growth. The other side that drops off is, hey, I don't have to do anything. God did it all, and I don't give him a second thought. Somehow He draws us near and calls us to draw near. It's there that He fuels us to serve, to love others and to love Him back.
Lv,
Mom