MUSHY FEELINGS FOR THE LORD

by Ebi Philips
(Nigeria)

Jesus answered, If a person really loves Me, he will keep My word (obey) My teaching???? Anyone who does not really love Me does not observe and obey My teaching. (Jhn 14:23-24 amp)

You know those warm, mushy, feelings we feel for someone we love? Hmmm....the kind that makes your heart beat faster and your knees wobble? The kind that gives butterflies in your stomach?- ok, maybe am stretching it a bit here..but hey, love is a beautiful thing.For a long, long, time I tried to feel that way about the Lord. The more I tried, the more frustrated I began to feel. I mean we are expressly told by Jesus to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and might!( Lk 10:27 amp). Having no success, I decided to ask Jesus to help me feel more love for Him. That was when He led me to our opening scripture.
Jesus shows us how to prove our love-by obeying His words. He goes further just to make sure we get it straight by telling us that we prove we don?t really love Him,when we disobey His words. Loving the Lord has got very little to do with our physical feelings- the flesh profiteth nothing (Jh 6:63 kjv). I have since learnt to describe and recognize real love as an action and not a feeling. The bible says for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life(.Jh.3:16 NIV). God?s love for us prompted Him to act- He gave. Therefore our love should prompt us to act- in obedience.

As I continued my study in the area of loving the lord, i discovered an amazing thing- I had always asked the Lord to reveal Himself more to me, to make Himself more real to me(we all desire this!). I found my answer in Jhn 14 21 amp-The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who really loves Me; and whoever really loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and will show (reveal, manifest )Myself to him. I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him-How utterly powerful and illuminating that statement is. One of the most popular desires we have as Christians seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord, is that He becomes more real to us. If we desire Jesus to be more real to us, then we must love Him His own way. Is it not such a wonderful thing to know exactly how to love the Lord?