For the Love of God!

Some people just ‘go to work.’ Others anticipate doing what they do. Speaking with a young business owner this week, he talked about the long hours he puts into his enterprise, but not with complaint, not bemoaning the time. He said, “It’s my life.” He enjoys what he does and the people for whom he does it see his passion. If he didn’t love it, he would burn out, produce at an inferior level, and eventually lose his investment. A kind of love makes the difference.

Working with people who claim to love God every day of my life, I see some who are ‘doing their duty’ and some who just love God. Those who are just trying to stay respectable look for the minimal level of commitment. They are not eager for corporate worship, only showing up as often as they feel they must to keep the Lord happy and the pastor from calling them to inquire about their whereabouts. They do not invest in close relationships with other Christians or get involved in ministry, preferring to ‘do their own thing.’ Their Bible is dusty, their prayers stiffly formal, their concern for the spiritual health of friends and family non-existent.

There are those who have come to passionately love the Lord, for whom knowing Christ Jesus as Lord is ‘surpassing greatness’ so that all other things in life are ‘rubbish,’ in comparison! Jesus Christ is their first love, the One who gives their life purpose and meaning. Paul, who met the Lord and replaced his dutiful religious practices with a passionate love of God, said, "All the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself." (Philippians 3:6-10, The Message)

That kind of love is costly when observed from the outside by those who do not share it. If the devoted disciple is asked, “How can you do that? Isn’t it hard?” If he really loves the Lord his answer will be, “I don’t think of it in that way. It’s my life!”

So, Christian friend, from which motive do your Christian practices emerge– duty or delight?

Here’s a word from the Word. It is an appeal from the Lover of our souls.
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance.
I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.


“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first." (Revelation 2:2-5, NLT)

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All I once held dear,
Built my life upon,
All this world reveres,
And wars to own,
All I once thought gain
I have counted loss;
Spent and worthless now,
Compared to this.

Now my heart's desire
Is to know You more,
To be found in You,
And known as Yours,
To possess by faith
What I could not earn;
All surpassing gift of righteousness.

Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings,
To become like You
In Your death, my Lord;
So with You to live, and never die.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.

Knowing You
Kendrick, Graham

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