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If You Love Me
The prodigal Son has returned, his father welcomed him, and the party's over. What's next? What would you do? Jesus didn’t say what happened next, but after such a fantastic restoration, I am sure the young man was delighted to take up his old duties. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to, out of love.
Love grows out of grace.
Jesus' words in John 14 are striking, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Instinctively, they hit a nerve for us; we don't like others telling us what to do. But that's not what Jesus is saying. He's not using emotional blackmail to make us obey Him. He's simply stating a fact. Love me…and you will follow me.
As the parent of three independently spirited children, I thought this connection between love and obedience might be worth a shot. "When I tell you to do something," I asked, "What makes you obey me?" They looked at me blankly before replying, "Well, we don't really obey, do we? Unless it's so we get screen time." At least they're honest. Truthfully, there are times when my response to Jesus looks more like their response to me than I'd like to admit.
But the great thing is that this isn’t about trying harder to love Jesus. If focusing on our efforts, we get bogged down in guilt or pride. Focusing instead on what Jesus has done, we naturally obey out of love. God says that we can only love him because He first loved us.
Paul doesn't mince his words to the Corinthians either. He says that nothing we do can be of any worth without that love. Our greatest acts of faith, biggest sacrifice, and generosity are all empty if we are not motivated by love.
What motivates us matters, and only love counts in God’s sight.
Reflect and Respond
Examine your motivations. Is it love that compels you, or something else – a desire to please others or gain significance perhaps? Invite the Holy Spirit to help you pursue His vast love for you, so you are free to love others.
Pray
Father, thank you for loving me eternally, freely, permanently, and without condition. I embrace your love for me so I can obey you out of love.
About this Plan
There is a war for the love of God. This all-out war makes perfect sense since loving God is the first and most important commandment. This vital ingredient, love, is how the world will know we are Christians. The Daily Nuggets of Grace is a tool to help Christians remove barriers like guilt, shame, fear, and pride while learning to abide to recover their first love for Christ.
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