God answered a prayer request today. It was something I had pretty much lost hope of being answered yet God came through. The first thing I could say was "Praise God, He is so Good!" Then I began to wonder, "do I say that He is good based on the fact that He answers my prayers or because He is as Himself is all glorious, awesome and indeed very good. Just because He is regardless wether He ever answers my prayers or not. In my heart, I had to wonder wether my love for Him was just for self-centered reasons and wether I actually loved Him for who He is.
My Dad, one time challenged me; "if everything I ever dreamed of about heaven; the beautiful colors, music, seeing the saints from long ago and knowing the family members I lost and having there being no pain or sadness; if all that was not there, but only God in His presence dwelled, would I still long for heaven?" Another way to put it would be if everthing we dreamed of was there except for God, would we even want to be there? If I can imagine enjoying a heaven without God then I'm not sure I really love Him......that my love only goes to the bounds of what He can do for me.
I remember the chorus of a Rich Mullins song titled "Brother's Keeper"
My friends ain't the way I wish they were
They are just the way they are
And I will be my brother's keeper
Not the one who judges him
I won't despise him for his weakness
I won't regard him for his strength
I won't take away his freedom
I will help him learn to stand
The love for his brother this song speaks goes beyond what that brother can do for him. It is a selfless love that does not require love in return nor good deeds to the other. No matter what, he will love his brother.
And what should my Love for God be? Certainly not a self-centered love. I headed back to God's word. It says that God is love(1 John 4:8) but what is this love?
1 Cor. 13:4-7 says
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." This is how He loves me, I know this is true.
The Bible also says "If you love me, you will obey what I command.(John 14:15) And what are His commands? If you take all the commands of God in the Bible and combine them you will find they can all be summed up with these two "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, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.(Luke 10:27)
The love, I believe we should have for God is just that.One that is not bound by what He does for us but as John 15:9-17 says
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.
What love is this? That a man would lay down his life for a friend.
Indeed, God is very Good, His name be praised.
~AGK
