What’s Love Got to do with it?

On this journey to a closer walk with God I have found myself constantly reevaluating how I do things. It’s a good thing to be active in your ministry (talking about your church home) but it’s not good when you complete your tasks with a bad attitude. You might think that God doesn’t have anything to say about your attitude, but I’d like to argue otherwise.

In Philippians, Paul instructs to “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you.” (2:14-15a, NLT). Even though this was Paul’s message to the Christians at Philippi it is still applicable today. Have you ever had someone give you a ride somewhere, and he complained the entire time you were in the car about what he had to do once he got home? How did that make you feel? Well, most people would feel disheartened and would not ask that person for another ride, so imagine how God must feel when we do something and complain the entire time.

I remember when I was growing up there would be times when my mom asked my brother and I to do something for her. Sometimes it meant that we had to stay up a little longer in order to help her put a shelf together, or using a Saturday morning for a project around the house instead of watching our regular TV shows. While we worked with her often times we would get tired, or just plain annoyed. Then we would begin to complain about all that we could be doing.  A few of those times she actually sent us away, and told us that she would rather do it by herself. What if God was like that? What if He decided that when we wanted to act a monkey while completing an assignment that He would rather do it alone?

That would be an utter and complete shame. In fact, we should never fix our mouths to complain (and this goes for me too) when we are given an assignment. Why, because most of the time when we are completing an assignment we are just as blessed, if not more, than the person we were helping! I am so blessed when I see that my brothers and sisters in Christ are growing, and succeeding at what God has called them to do.

We cannot allow our flesh to dictate how we operate. Again, when we ask, “What’s love got to do with it?” The answer is EVERYTHING. The true definition of love is God. 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (NLT). That is the key right there! First and foremost God is love, and we are commanded to act in love. John even goes on to say that if we do not love, then we do not know God. Hold on let’s pump the breaks right there!

Have you ever witnessed someone acting out of love? Even though the person they were helping was entirely disrespectful and out of order? I have, and I just thought to myself, man that had to be God! When we act out of love we are able to look past the nasty looks we might get, or poor attitudes. Also, when we realize that we are serving God and not the man, then our love for God and our desire to please Him drives us. We just have to be mindful that without love we are nothing. What a revelation. Without God we are nothing. And if we don’t love others we are nothing. 1 Corinthians 13 is the famous love chapter in the New Testament. Most people read starting at verse 4, which covers all of the characteristics that define love, but the first verses are equally important. They say this: “If I could speak all the languages of the earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others I would have gained nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

You can do all the good deeds you desire, but if you don’t act out of love you aren’t gaining anything. Also, this shows that you don’t really know the God that you claim to know because He is love. I have started to read Crazy Love by Francis Chan and it is a powerful book (even though I am only in the first chapter) that I suggest to anyone trying to get closer to God. We serve a God that loves us like crazy as Heather Lindsey says on her blog, and it is a very powerful and true statement. Throughout this week, just look at how you operate. Is there any love behind the things that you are doing? If not, then you need to take another look at what’s driving you.

Be Encouraged,

God’s Servant 

The most important commandments that we were given were (1) "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." (2) which he said was "equally important," is to "Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these." Show some love today!