Are you really in love with Jesus? Would you do anything for Him, defend Him no matter the cost, even sacrifice your life for Him? I think it’s easy for us to say we love Jesus. I think we even mean it. The way we live our lives sometimes says otherwise. How often is it more convenient to put Him to the side for just a bit so we can continue on with what we want to do? When you’re in love, the object of your affection is the most important thing to you. You can’t eat or sleep because all you can do is think of that person. Your heart literally aches when you’re apart. Is this the kind of love you have for Jesus? More often than I would care to admit, I fall short of this ideal.
A.W. Tozer once wrote, “In our Christian circles today, it is rare when we find anyone aglow with personal love for Christ…There can be nothing more terrible or wonderful than to be stricken with love for Christ so deeply that the whole being goes out in a pained adoration of His person, an adoration that disturbs and disconcerts…” What part of your life is disturbed because of your love for Jesus? Is your love for Christ both so intense and immense that you are actually concerned it might fully overwhelm you?
If we truly love Him, our thoughts will be consumed with Him. We will seek to please Him in everything we do, every word we speak, and every thought we think. This isn’t a list of do’s and don’ts; it’s simply the truth about love. Perhaps we use the word too carelessly. Maybe the truth is we are extremely grateful for what Jesus did for us, and we legitimately want to live our lives in a way that honors Him. But love is something altogether different.
Lately I’ve been a little obsessed with discovering what it really means to seek Christ first. What does that look like in practical terms? I believe it is encapsulated in growing to love Him more and more. As we desire to know Him and serve Him, we become more familiar with who He really is. You cannot learn more about Jesus and not fall more deeply in love with Him.
My intent is not to point a finger or proclaim that you don’t really love Jesus if you aren’t living perfectly for Him. I mean only to point out that if we truly love Him, our lives will reflect that. In fact, as we grow to love Him more, I don’t think we can help but observe our lives change. As we become consumed with seeking Him, non-essentials will begin to fall away and we will become a different person over time. Perhaps there is no greater indication of our love for Him than the way that very love changes us. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions of yourself. Do you really love Him? Does your life reflect that love? Never stop seeking to love Him more.