What’s On Your Love List?

“In order to bear the name Christian, there’s a condition. God requires your complete devotion. There can be no higher love.”

Love. It is a much-used word. We love our family. We love our friends. We love our hobbies; like fishing, hunting, golf, wood-working. We love our things; like cars, trucks, homes, cell phones, tablets. We love our food. We love our sports teams. We love our work. We love our learning. And some of us maybe even love our bodies; our smile, eyes or maybe even our six-pack abs (buried under lots of skin of course). (Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash)

And how do we demonstrate that love? The commitment or devotion we show to those things through the time we give to them, the money we spend, how much we talk about them, the sacrifices we make.

Now all these “loves” surround us. We love OUR family, OUR friends, OUR hobbies. Perhaps we could call it OUR love list. Notice though, I have left one important person out – God.

Let me bring Jesus in on this. There was once a religious lawyer, an expert in Old Testament Jewish law that asked Jesus a question, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) Put another way, it could be asked, “What must I do to receive the forgiveness of sins?

Since the lawyer was the expert, Jesus asked him to answer the question, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” (Lk. 10:26) Then the lawyer responded with an Old Testament quotation about loving God, “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And [Jesus] said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’” (Luke 10:27-28) 

In your list of things you love, is God on there? And why is that important? Because your life depends on it! Let me explain. 

Notice the lawyer’s question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Then observe Jesus’ response to the lawyer’s answer, “do this, and you will live.” So if he chose to love God, then he would receive the gift of eternal life, which means if the lawyer refused, he would be condemned to the opposite; eternal death. The implications of loving God are massive for every single one of us.   

Now what is eternal life? After a person turns from their disobedient ways and to Jesus by faith, then he instantaneously receives the indwelling invisible Spirit of Christ within him. This is what gives him eternal life, the life of Jesus. 

According to what Jesus said, this gift is dependent on loving God with all one’s heart, soul, strength and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself. What is Jesus communicating? Full commitment, total loyalty and maximum devotion to God through His beloved Son.  

There was once a wealthy young man that was drawn to Jesus, and asked a similar question like the lawyer. Jesus told the man that if he wanted to follow Him, then he must sell all his possessions and give them to the poor. The man could not part with his wealth, so he dejectedly walked away from Jesus. The man loved his wealth more than His Creator.

In order to bear the name “Christian” and receive the everlasting life of Jesus within you; there is a condition. He requires your complete devotion. There can be no higher love. Why? Because when He initiated a covenant relationship for you to enter into with Him, it required His greatest commitment; the sacrifice of His deeply loved Son. In similar fashion, for you to receive all the blessings He wants to bestow on you, you must love Him above all else. Will you love Him today?   

A prayer for you – Lord God, I praise you for how you have shown your love for all mankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus. What love! Now you call us to love you in return, which you are most worthy of. Examine our ways. Point out if there is anything we love greater than you, that we would yield it to you this hour. In Jesus’ name. Amen.