The words of Jesus beg the question of the 80's hit, "What's love got to do with it?" There is a strong push in much of the modern evangelical church to steer clear of anything that could possibly be seen as, or turn into legalism; and with good reason. In Jesus' day he was constantly speaking out against the "yeast of the pharisees," and all of man's attempts at controlling the favor of God. Since that time we have seen throughout history the negative impact that other such man made powers have had on our world and the personal life of the believer. Down through the ages, we have placed religious burdens on each other in the name of Christ. And before we start pointing fingers at anyone in particular let's be clear that liturgical churches are not the only ones who generate such religious requirements.
But I digress.
The point is that a movement has arisen swinging so far in the other direction that they would hesitate to spend much time around even Jesus' commands and calls to obedience. Sure, if I love Jesus, I'll listen to him and do what he says. But if my heart and my love aren't in it, then it would be hypocritical of me to follow and obey. So rather than become a Pharisee and try to manipulate God, I'll just live however I feel, because that is what God really wants.
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"What's love, but a second hand emotion?" so the song says, and we have bought the line. If I don't feel the emotion, I don't really love. So I shouldn't obey because that would be pretending to love.
How many parents do I have in the audience? Are there ever times when you find the warm fuzzies you have for your little darlings completely buried beneath the shrieks, tantrums, mischievous acts, and perpetual messes produced by said darlings? Not a lot of lovey-dovey emotions come out of those moments. Does that mean you have stopped loving your children? Even as a teacher I come upon countless moments in a day when frustration and consternation abound. Yet my love for my students never ceases. That's not to say that my love for them is always what causes me to respond the way I do. I'm still learning, growing, and making mistakes. But I am still here. I am still teaching. I have not given up on them, and I haven't given up on my love for them. My love for them is not switched on and off by the presence or absence of an emotion.
The love remains because there is a relationship, not an emotion. A connection has been created; a connection that spurs us on to follow this God who loves us. As we then listen to his voice and follow his direction for our lives, as we pursue that most trustworthy relationship, we will remain in His love.
We have believed the lie. The lie says, "there are times when it is wrong to obey God." We have decided that it is hypocritical to behave like children of God when we don't feel like children of God. But here's the crux of the issue, God is the one who has called us his children. More than that, He called us to be his children long before we ever felt like it. So it doesn't matter if we feel like his children or not. He says we are.
Ergo, if we ever don't act like his children (no matter our feelings at the time) it is then that we become hypocrites.
"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Listen and Obey: the words may sound like the beginnings of a cold and empty religion, but who can hear the instruction of God without having an encounter with him? What human being can bring his own worldly-driven flesh into obedience to God's instruction without being completely connected to God's spirit and trusting in God's power and promise. It is not even possible to listen and obey without abiding in, walking beside, and relating with Him.
That being said, certainly, we must be careful that we are not listening to and obeying the religious loads that Satan, the world, and our flesh would put on us to hinder us in our walk with the Lord. And there are many well-meaning people in the world who will try to give us one more thing to carry. But that is all the more reason to keep pursuing the genuine relationship (whether we feel it or not) so that we will be able to hear God's desires for each of our lives as we each walk the paths He has prepared for us.
Let me end with this encouragement, as the task of discerning God's path for me seems rather daunting in the midst of all the voices that claim to know. God knows you. God knows how best to communicate with you. Some of what he wants to tell you has already been written down, and so part of that listening includes seeking his will in the written words of scripture (if you have the ability to read--which you do, if you've made it this far--and access to the resource). The rest of what he has to tell you, he will tell you.
God is not interested in hiding his will for the present. The future He hides most frequently, but his desire for the now is never so cryptic that we cannot walk forward in faith as we listen and obey in love.
PS. If you're still not convinced, ask yourself this one question: Did Jesus feel like loving you as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane?
You can find the answer in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22.
We have believed the lie. The lie says, "there are times when it is wrong to obey God." We have decided that it is hypocritical to behave like children of God when we don't feel like children of God. But here's the crux of the issue, God is the one who has called us his children. More than that, He called us to be his children long before we ever felt like it. So it doesn't matter if we feel like his children or not. He says we are.
Ergo, if we ever don't act like his children (no matter our feelings at the time) it is then that we become hypocrites.
"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22).
Listen and Obey: the words may sound like the beginnings of a cold and empty religion, but who can hear the instruction of God without having an encounter with him? What human being can bring his own worldly-driven flesh into obedience to God's instruction without being completely connected to God's spirit and trusting in God's power and promise. It is not even possible to listen and obey without abiding in, walking beside, and relating with Him.
That being said, certainly, we must be careful that we are not listening to and obeying the religious loads that Satan, the world, and our flesh would put on us to hinder us in our walk with the Lord. And there are many well-meaning people in the world who will try to give us one more thing to carry. But that is all the more reason to keep pursuing the genuine relationship (whether we feel it or not) so that we will be able to hear God's desires for each of our lives as we each walk the paths He has prepared for us.
Let me end with this encouragement, as the task of discerning God's path for me seems rather daunting in the midst of all the voices that claim to know. God knows you. God knows how best to communicate with you. Some of what he wants to tell you has already been written down, and so part of that listening includes seeking his will in the written words of scripture (if you have the ability to read--which you do, if you've made it this far--and access to the resource). The rest of what he has to tell you, he will tell you.
God is not interested in hiding his will for the present. The future He hides most frequently, but his desire for the now is never so cryptic that we cannot walk forward in faith as we listen and obey in love.
PS. If you're still not convinced, ask yourself this one question: Did Jesus feel like loving you as he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane?
You can find the answer in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22.
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