I, like many reading this can be prone to excess, but can anyone love God as He desires us to- really love Him excessively? Can we truly love God too much?
There are countless people, places, things and experiences that call our hearts and minds to focus on them. We cannot as finite, imperfect people -even as followers of Jesus- somehow "love God too much".
He of course knows this better than you or I do dear reader. His grace IS sufficient. Still we are called to pray "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" where only His will, perfect relationship between Himself and all residing there are joined together. We who believe and follow Him will experience that then, but this is -now- on planet earth in a fallen world laced with mistakes, sin, ignorance of Him and His ways even among the most spiritually mature.
Please note how I began this post... about loving God "as He desires us to love Him". I'm not talking about whacked-out fanaticism or mentally challenged, twisted tactics or such, but true, deep, heart-behavior-service love for Him. We know by reading Jesus's words and the rest of both Testaments this is not only done in direct relationship to Him but also our demonstration of loving those around us, especially those we would not typically choose to be with or serve. Ouch, 'eh?! Yep, me too.
Thank God for His fresh mercies every single morning!
Tozer makes the sadly accurate comment that many come to God for self-fulfillment, to merely get this or that from Him, that we professing Christians use "He'll give you X, Y and Z" as a sort of "sales" tactic and I think such is far too common.
Jesus calls us to a cross along with the abundant life He alone gives! We aren't exclusively given a "wonderful, get-ahead, all your prayers will be answered what, how and when you wish" deal as though our heavenly Father was some sort of celestial slot machine that always produces. Seeking close and closer relationship to God in Christ by the Spirit isn't about your grocery list be it literally or figuratively speaking.
Such thinking and expectation often leads to ignoring the many teachings of Jesus and human experience to the extent when it seems God didn't give us what we wanted, we're done with Him -and that is why hardcore self-seeking isn't God-seeking.
Life is about Him, WHO HE IS and HIS unmatched worthiness of thanks, praise, worship. It's about us loving Him back -more and more over time.
May this New Year (as I write, 2025) be such for you and I!
And as always, thanks for stopping by :) -Glenn
Comments