Love Guides All Matters of the Heart

“We love because He first loved us.” —1 John 4:19

God’s Demonstration of His Loving and Tender Heart

God’s very name is Agape Love which He demonstrated by extending grace and mercy to Adam and Eve when He did not destroy them for their wilful disobedience. Yet, He went above and beyond by giving us His son, Jesus Christ for the redemption of our sins Truly when we think about the options God had, [but did not consider] we are aware that God has a tender and loving heart.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” —2 Timothy 1:7

As human beings, we possess inherent qualities such as courage, strength, love, and the ability to exercise self-discipline. When our hearts are filled with love for God, it naturally radiates towards others. Our treatment of ourselves is reflective of how much we love and value the physical vessels gifted to us by God.

Love is the foundation of every godly relationship. Our thoughts and actions towards ourselves, others, and God are influenced by the loving state of our hearts. Love is a mindset that permeates our entire being. In Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, the Apostle Paul lists love as the first characteristic of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Loving Others is a Matter of the Heart

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” —John 13:34-35

Jesus understood that His disciples were preoccupied with worldly status. Their prevalent thoughts were “Who would be the greatest when Jesus became King and delivered them from Roman oppression?” The disciples were mistaken about Jesus’ purpose and mission on Earth. Because they were ruled by the jealously and envy in their hearts, they constantly argued with each other.

The internal conflict within their hearts posed a threat to their spiritual growth and ability to fulfill their duty to God and humanity. Yet, Jesus [the Creator of everything that was made] would complete His work in them. “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:12).

Before giving the commandment to love one another, Jesus experienced rejection from many disciples who followed Him. After giving the parable that He was the Bread of Life, many who just followed to witness miracles turned and left. Their hearts lacked the love that it took to go all the way with Christ.

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'” —John 6:66-69

Eleven of the twelve disciples loved Jesus with all of their hearts, souls, and minds. The love within their hearts for Jesus overpowered their innate jealousy for one another. And that love for Christ prompted them to follow His every command. Except for Judas Iscariot, the remaining eleven disciples experienced a complete spiritual transformation that bound them strongly to Christ and one another.

Loving God is the Most Serious Matter in Our Hearts

With the struggle that most of us face every day of keeping our love consistent for Christ, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to give us the answers for a never-failing love for His Son.

1. Acknowledging the Father-Child Relationship with God requires the foundation of possessing a loving, faithful, and obedient heart. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience not only demonstrates our love for God, but it also reveals our humility and reverence to God.
2. “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done” (Luke 22:42). Love reveals itself through our daily commitment and covenant vow to surrender our will, plans, and lives to God’s will and plans.
3. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Great love for God and strength from the Holy Spirit gives us the continual daily determination to renounce the pleasures of wealth accumulation and pursuing our carnal desires of the heart. Every day, we put God first by worshiping Him and preparing ourselves for the reward of eternal life.
4. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). We trust God’s promises for the provisions of our daily necessities. Looking beyond today increases self-reliance and gives us the burdens of unnecessary anxieties and worries.
5. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). As we pray for humility and obediently seek God’s will, our sinful character begins to change. We see others through Jesus’ eyes and realize that Christ loves and died for the 8 billion plus individuals who live on this earth.
6. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Colossians 3:23). Our commitment to serving others allows us to walk in the footprints of Christ. On this earth, Jesus demonstrated His great love and compassion for humanity by feeding the hungry, healing physical and mental illnesses, and giving hope to those rejected by society.

Loving and serving God along with helping others has always been and will forever be a matter of the heart.

Scripture: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” —1 John 4:7-8

Prayer: God, we confess that we have not loved You as we should and it is impacting the way we think and live. And for this lack of love, we ask for forgiveness. We desire to experience a complete spiritual transformation of our hearts as we seek Your will. We pray for the anointing, power, presence, guidance, strength, and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Jesus, we love You and we ask this prayer in Your Worthy Name, Amen.