You Mean I Have to do Both?

“…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

 I John 4:16b

 

 

 “Well, duh; why am I still reading this blog when he states something so obvious?”

Maybe that’s your thought as you read the next line:

If I want to deepen my relationship with Christ and have confidence when I pray then I need to cultivate in my life a love for God and a love for people.

The fact is this, though, nothing is easier to say but tougher to do.

You see we are masters at separating the two requirements.

We declare our uncompromising love and devotion for God but… “That Pastor has to go!” Sometimes, we flip it – “I will walk a hundred miles” we say “to help someone in need but I can’t love a God who expects me to put Him before my wife, my job, my house, etc….my everything else!”

Or perhaps you are capable of fulfilling the two commands – up to a point.

You see we love God and people as long as it is convenient and without risk.

 If it requires too much effort or too much sacrifice, we convince ourselves God didn’t really mean for us to get carried away.

After all, we reason, Jesus paid the price already and I’m just along for the ride.

But if we truly want to be His disciples and abide in Him then loving Him and loving people is simply not an option.

It is a command.

Not a command to love one or the other.

It is a command to love both.

I don’t know about you but when I pray, it is my desire to pray with full confidence of those prayers being answered.

I don’t earn answered prayer any more than I can earn my salvation.

Funny thing though, as I grow in my love for God and

for people the nature of my prayers change.

I begin to pray less about me and what I want and more about Him and His will.

I know, I know, I’m stating the obvious again!