If the question “Do you love God” was asked to you, what would you say? I’m sure many of us who know God would instantly say, yes! But have you thought deep inside your heart and asked if you really do love God?

It was in the middle of my prayer time with God when he challenged me with the question if I really loved him. I was telling God how I wanted to stay pure and faithful to him so that he would bless my relationship and my life. But deep inside my heart, I was scared that if I sinned and was not faithful to God, his blessings would not come in my life.

Fears started to stir up in my mind of what God’s wrath would look like in my life if I didn’t stay faithful to him. My motivation in my obedience to God started to stem from my fear of him, and it was at this moment when God opened my eyes.

My love for God was based on fear. God revealed to me that my faithfulness to him was not because I loved him, but because I feared him.

If you do things for God out of fear of his wrath, then it shows that your love for God is not true. God does not want your love to him to be based on fear, but to have your fear be based on your love to God.

Don’t love God because you fear God, fear God because you love God.

1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made in perfect love.” A true love for God is one that chooses to fear him because you love him. You obey God not because of fear of his consequences, but because you honor and love him so much to not hurt him. This is what it means by perfect love; to love purely with no motivation of fear.

Is your fear in God tied to his punishment or in your love for him? Is your actions to God out of your love to God or your fear and want from God?

It is only through love that we can justify the pureness of our actions towards God. Our actions to God cannot define our love to him – we have to start our focus with our love to God first, before we take actions for him.

1 Samuel 16:7 says, “..but the Lord looks at the heart.” God looks at your heart, so I encourage you all to look at your heart and see if it truly loves God. When you start from focusing your love to God, everything else will come together. When love is the foundation, you will find your fear and love to God begin to synchronize.

Your love for God will grow your fear to him, and your fear in God will grow your love to him. Although you may intend to do things for God, sometimes you just need to double check your heart to make sure your heart is all in for God as well. Do everything for God because you love him. So remember, really love God.