Do you love? How do you know if you love someone? Do you love Jesus? How do you know if you love Him? Do you know that He stated there is a litmus test for your love for Him?
We most often think of love as an emotion. We think of love as a feeling. It may be strong for a while but can fade and disappear completely. It may come upon us quickly. It often includes a physical attraction. Yet that is not the type of love Jesus is talking about when He challenges our love for Him.
The love Jesus talks about is a committed love. It is a decision to love, no matter what. It includes trust and obedience. The love we are to have for Jesus isn’t a gushy, emotional love, but a love that is deep within our hearts and can never be wrenched away from us. It is to be reciprocal love, one that reflects the love God has for us.
So, what is this litmus test of our love? It is obedience. Jesus clearly states in today’s passage our love is demonstrated by us when we obey His teaching. When we disobey, we demonstrate a lack of love. Jesus continues by saying it is not His words He is speaking but the Father’s.
This is a hard teaching. We don’t really want to hear it. We like living in our ignorance, not wanting to hear we are not showing our love for God in our disobedience and doing whatever we want. We want to do what we want to do and continue to say we love God. Unfortunately, the old saying rings true in this situation, “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.”
We are under a false impression of obedience to God equating to a boring life. That could not be further from the truth. Jesus promised and abundant life to those who follow Him (John 10:10). That abundant life includes a life that includes strength, courage, and all the fruits of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. It includes a life without the hardships caused by disobedience. No, it doesn’t mean there will be no hardships, but it does mean we have fewer hardships due to making better decisions.
I pray we all show our love through obedience. I pray we choose to follow Jesus. I pray each one of us commits to love Jesus and trust Him. Show your love for Jesus. Obey Jesus’ teachings. Trust God’s promises. Commit to Jesus today.
John 14:23-24 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”
Marty Pressey 