The root of unanswered prayers, unhealed bodies, and unsaved loved ones has nothing to do with your asking and everything to do with your obedience. The promises in God’s word are only manifested for those who love His commands. The abundance, lifelong blessings, and prosperity we read about it belongs to those who LOVE God. We’ve taken God out of love, when love is connected to His eternal existence. Phrases like, “Love is love.” and “Love is my religion” creates a dangerous concept that misleads people into thinking that love is some kind of emotional ether you can engage with on a whim. Here are 5 ways to know you love God.
1. You obey Him.
So, your child cusses you into next Tuesday and proceeds to disobey your instructions, when they suddenly fall on their knees and begins to beg you for toys. Would you give them what they’re begging for? Most likely not, and why? Disobedient children should not be rewarded. Likewise, are prayer lives have become about asking when we haven’t positioned ourselves to earn an audience with our King. John 14:15 makes it plain for us. “If you love me, keep my commands.” The true sign of someone who loves God, is someone who obeys Him.
2. You seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” This verse implies that those who don’t seek Him, will NOT be rewarded. It may be a little hard to receive but, the meek and meager God the world has painted isn’t who He is at all. We pursue love interests, careers, knowledge, and we understand the benefits of claiming a prize for our consistency. It’s the same principle with God, you know you love Him when you pursue Him with your life!
3. You enjoy His laws.
“I have rejoiced in your law as much as in riches, I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.” Psalm 119:14-16 Say what?! Yes, there is a joy in following the laws of God, His will and His way. Denying your flesh never feels good in the moment but, when you reap the benefits that come with loving God, dare we say you’ll freely give up your own free will?! Yes! King David said loved God’s ways as much as a billionaire loves money. We tend to flee from obedience because of what we feel it will cost us and yet here it is, waiting for us, extreme joy!
4. You make room for Him.
When’s the last time you gave up 24 hours of your time, a whole day and night just to learn about what God loves? It’s as if we sprint to the end of the day to sleep and do it all over again. Our time, our schedules, our agendas…where is there room for God. When we love God, we make room for Him in every aspect of our lives. He’s in our marriages, in our parenting, in our career choices, in our relationships, in our desires, in our future plans…We inquire His mind and heart before making decisions. Let’s look at our fruit, it’ll either be the manifestation of our own works or the work of an unfailing Father.
5. You love others.
This one is tougher than all the rest. We don’t want our love for God to depend on the personalities, characters, and actions of others! What if they’re mean, what if they’ve hurt us, what if they’re unsaved?! All the more to put God into the equation. He’s not asking us to love them in the flaws of our humanity, He’s asking us to extend the perfection of His love to them. It’s time we got out of the way and turned our selfishness into consideration for others. If we don’t like the way hunger feels why would we let others go hungry? If we hated being bound to anger and injustice, why would we let others suffer? Perhaps, we’ve believed a lie our whole lives and today it’s time to be free! Love isn’t up for debate, love is God and God is love, the way to prove our love to Him is through obedience.
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