You Don't Love God Enough
In God’s sovereign design, my life and faith has been shaped by different streams of Christianity.
I was born and dedicated as a baby in an Anglican church.
I was raised as a young boy in a Pentecostal prayer Church.
For secondary school (Jnr and Snr High), I went to a Catholic boarding school.
In college, I served with an Interdenominational college campus ministry where I worked with Lutherans, Methodists, basically the whole religious she-bang.
After college, I went to seminary in New York and attended a C&MA (Christian and Missionary Alliance) Seminary
And for 15 years, prior to relocating to Nigeria, I was a teaching pastor at a Baptist Church.
So, I can say with a certain level of confidence that I have experienced just about every style of worship Christian churches have to offer. In each of these settings, we were taught one particular style of worship which each church would say is the TRUEST expression of one’s love for God.
So, in one of the churches I grew up in, we were taught that our passionate and loud prayers were the truest expression of our love for God (if you spoke in tongues, that was bonus affection).
In another church, we were told that Biblical exegesis, Bible study, and verse by verse preaching was the way you know you really love God
In some churches, we were taught that the true expression of your love for God is demonstrable through dancing and celebration during worship
And then in some churches, we were told that being a contemplative who sits with God in silence to meditate on His goodness is the truest expression of one’s love for God.
By the way, these were all Gospel-preaching, Christ-centered churches I’m referring to.
SO, THE QUESTION IS, WHICH ONE OF THEM HAD IT RIGHT? HOW DO WE SHOW THAT WE LOVE GOD?
Well, fortunately for us, Jesus answered that question in the scriptures. He was once asked what the most important thing is for a believer to do, Jesus repeated to them The Shema (the Jewish confession of faith) from Deuteronomy 6. “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
This instruction is a powerful diagnostic tool for every Christian to help you determine where your life may be out of alignment with God. What I mean by that is that many of us compartmentalize our love for God.
So, some Christians are academics, and they solely love God through the intellect, but never step foot outside in the real world to love their neighbors (they love God with only their minds).
Some Christians are what you would call, sensates. They are always pursuing after the next spiritual high. They are looking for the next prayer and prophetic service to hear a new word from the LORD. Their expression of love for God has to have a sensuous element to it otherwise they feel like God did not move (They love God with only their hearts and affections).
Then some Christians are all about activity. They jump from one mission to another doing things for Jesus with all their strength, working for God, but not really walking with God. Does that make sense?
But Jesus says that the most important command that you and I should follow is to love God with ALL our heart and soul, ALL our minds, and ALL our strength.
IT’S NOT A MENU TO PICK FROM. IT’S A COMMAND TO LIVE BY!
So, let’s talk about how to love God in three of these areas. If it’s okay with you, in order to save time, I will combine loving God with soul and heart as ONE thing.
LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND SOUL
Our hearts are the center of all our emotions. Everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23says to guard your heart above all else because all your drama in life flows from it.
One of the most powerful and vivid expressions of this is the story of the unnamed woman with the alabaster jar in Luke 7:36. The scripture points out she was a “sinful woman”, which is the Bible’s way of saying she was most likely a prostitute. For women like these, her hair and her fragrance is her brand identity. This is how she attracts men and sells her market.
Yet, we find out that her heart had been so captivated by who Jesus was and all He taught that she tracks Him down in the presence of religious leaders, and she…
weeps on his feet (which by the way would have been dirty because the Bible says His host never offered Him water to wash His feet).
Then she cleans his dirty feet with her most valued asset (her hair),
kisses it with her mouth (the tool of her trade) and anoints it with expensive perfume, her most prized possession.
That is a picture of what it means to love God with all your heart. It creates a ripple effect that impacts your time, your energy, your talents and resources – IT MAKES YOU NOT HOLD ANYTHING BACK! That is why Jesus says to her in verse 47, “…[her sins, which are many] are forgiven for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
So, what are you holding back? It’s a heart issue.
Let me ask it this way, what are some things in your life that are robbing you of your affections for God that you need to step out of?
Also, what things stir up your affections for God that you need to step into?
2. LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR MIND.
The mind here is a reference to your intellect; and most clearly, it’s asking: How are you growing your mind in the LORD? How do you engage God’s word?
I’m not just talking about Bible reading. I mean, are you reading the Bible to know the Bible or are you reading the Bible to know God? There’s a difference! Heck, I know many scholars who can quote any passage from the Bible at the snap of the finger, but their lives are no different than the man who has never read the Bible.
Our standard should be that of the Bereans in Acts 17:11. It says, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
I mean, these guys had the apostle Paul teaching them and yet, after church, they would get together, get the Old Testament scriptures and other letters from the apostles to confirm if what Paul was teaching was legit.
It’s amazing when you consider all the nonsense that Christians share online with each other under the title of Biblical teaching. Sometimes I’m like, have you actually watched this video that you just shared?? Because that doesn’t sound like the Bible!
Here are some quick tips on loving God with your mind.
Read the Bible actively (engage the text. Stop when God speaks)
Read theological books
Master a book of the Bible
3. LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.
The strength refers the bodily kingdom activity.
Here’s what I know about those of us who are part of the reformed theological community. We tend to be very high-minded on theology, doctrine, and Biblical teaching, but very low in the actual engagement of lost people or demonstrating that very practical love to our neighbors.
It's to us that the apostle James writes in James 2:14-26, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
The question is this:
What need around you do you need to STOP praying about, and actually get up, and do so something practically about it?
Who have you been bombarding over the head the scriptures, when what they really need is for you to sit with them and feel their pain, and just listen!
Sometimes, it takes an ANANIAS who steps out of their comfort zone, goes to the house of his neighbor and encourages and helps them in a very practical way for that person to become a PAUL who makes a great impact on the church!
SO, IN WHAT AREA(S) OF YOU LIFE DO YOU NEED TO GIVE YOUR “ALL” IN LOVING GOD?
For some of you, it is with all your heart
For some of you, it is with all your mind
For some of you, it is with all your strength.
May the LORD GOD give you attentive ears to hear and obey what the Holy Spirit is directing you to do for JESUS CHRIST and IN JESUS NAME!