Our good deeds without love mean nothing to God. God wants our love because our love matters to Him.
Recently, I have been very busy. I knew it was important to prioritize time with Jesus, so I did just that, but my heart wasn’t in it. I made sure I spent time with Jesus just to get it checked off my to-do list. God later led me to Revelation 2:4 and showed me how far I was from first love. God didn’t want me to spend time with Him just so that I would feel better about myself checking off my to-do list, but He wanted me to spend time with Him to be with Him.
Jesus says in Revelation 2:4, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” Jesus was talking to the church who did good deeds and endured hardship for His name, but they lost the love they had at first with Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t just look at our deeds, but also our hearts. He longs for our love and that we would do everything out of love for Him. This means that everything we do, think and say must be out of love for Jesus.
Our love matters to Jesus.
Is your heart burning in love for Jesus? If your heart cry is to want more of God above all else, then your love for Him is truly first and burning.
First love isn’t complacent. First love wants to be better and wants more. God’s greatest commandment for us is to love Him with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind (Mathew 22:37). God wants our love. He wants us to have first love that says “I want to know You more and love You better each and every day.” Love doesn’t settle for yesterday’s encounter with God. Love wants a new encounter with God each and every day.
Ask Jesus for a greater revelation of His love towards you and you’ll find yourself in love with Jesus. If your heart isn’t burning with first love, you can burn with first love again by turning your gaze to Jesus and remembering His great love for you. When you know how much He loves you, you can’t help but love Him back.
God wants our love. He won’t settle with us doing religious acts for His name if our heart is far from Him.
If there is anything in our lives that we are not willing to surrender to God out of obedience, then we do not love Him because that very thing has captivated our hearts above Him.
To love God is to obey His commandments (John 14:15). When we realize the sacrifice and love God showed us through giving Jesus to us, we cannot help but love Him back by living one with Him. God saved us so that we would never have to live a day without Him. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
We could be doing good things, but without love, God is not pleased. We could be doing nothing bad, yet if we have bad thoughts, this too hurts God. Our heart posture matters to God.
Is there anything in your life that is hurting Jesus? What do you need to get right with God? When we love Jesus, our deeds will also show it. There is nothing better than living in right standing with God. So remember, love matters.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for loving me so much. Help me to burn with first love for You.
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