There are many different things we love as human beings. Even when such things could be perceived as trivial by others, we remain resolute in our affection for the said thing. A good example is my current relationship with my favorite football team: FC Barcelona. The club has been trying to find its identity and results from games haven’t always been great. However, that’s my club for life come what may.
I believe the love I have for Barcelona is what love should look like. A love that remains in great and chaotic times as well. The integrity of this assertion, also lies in the truth that I can’t tell you why I won’t stop supporting and loving the club in bad times. I believe many men reading this get what I mean. A diehard fan is one for life.
If you ask many Christians “What is love?” We can almost guarantee that we’d get a chorus that says “God is love” which is true. God is indeed the epitome of what it means to love without conditions. If we go ahead to ask people why and if they love God, we’d definitely get a barrage of different answers explaining how much they do.
Nonetheless, why do we love God?
What motivates our service to the Almighty? Are we compelled to love or serve Him out of fear of eternal damnation? According to John: “There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made in perfect love” (1 John 4:18). Whilst fearing God highlights reverence, honor, and praise for Him, God remains our Heavenly Father, our Eternal Daddy. God isn’t your mean boss at work, and neither is He a slave master.
Those who only serve and love God out of the fear of the impending and sure terror of hell, must understand that as Christians, our confidence in the Lord naturally eliminates the spirit of subservient dread.
The love expected of Christians is described in the book of John: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God, and every one that loveth is begotten of God and knoweth God” (1 John 4:7). Love finds its roots in God and hence, a sign of being born again and having a loving nature.
As regards the love for God, Jesus said it best when he gave a response to the Pharisees on how one must love God “with all your heart, soul and mind.” That is, the entirety of one’s being must be wrapped up in loving God. Our desires and affection must be in the things of God. A person who loves God knows to honor him with the best he has to offer.
A life of love for God removes the selfish nature of man towards all things. True love for God foreshadows faithfulness and concern for things of God. To love God and man glorifies our Heavenly Father and calls men to Christ. Loving God means doing so with every fiber of our being.
Ogo Adelakun writes on diverse subjects related to everyday living.
