Close your eyes and think about this... (Figuratively, of course. You'd have a hard time actually reading that way.)
What is it like when you tell your spouse, a family member, or a close friend, "I love you"?
Now, picture the difference in saying to them, "I am so in love with you." Honestly, might that not cut out a few of the people who you would have said "I love you" to? There is a difference in the emotion and devotion of those two phrases.
It is the same with our exclamations to God. We more easily tell God that we love Him, but how often have we sat back and declared to Him, "I am so in love with You." I've been blessed to have a few of those precious times in the last few weeks and they are quite vivid in my memory. Yesterday, I even had a member of my Life Group class mention that same concept. It was important enough a thought to bring it up aside from any lesson that may have been a reminder. It was as fresh on his mind as it was mine. I love when God works that way...
We need make sure to not fall into the rut of religion and forget the passion of our devotion.
Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes who questioned Him about breaking rituals, "...Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men." Mark 7:6-7 They told God they loved Him. But were they so in love with Him? No.
Let's take some time to stop, think about it, and be so in love with Him today.
I along with some friends in youth group work with effort to stop using the word love with everything. i.e. I love that restaurant, I love that blanket, I love my phone. I'm not sure who got us thinking about it, but it was like saying we loved our new shoes as much as we love God.
ReplyDeleteI'm not as good at it as I once was, but I still often catch myself and replace the word 'love' with something less holy when describing my new toy... thanks for the nudging reminder =o)