Do I Love God Enough?

Ruth

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

—1 John 3:1

I have always been a rule follower. Things are pretty black and white for me. For the most part, this is not always a bad thing. But sometimes I notice the faulty aspects of this part of my personality creeping into my relationship with God. I can wrestle with whether or not I have done enough for Him. Life can seem like a list of boxes I need to check in order to love God enough.

There is no question that we are supposed to love God. We show our love for God as we trust and obey Him. His commands are not burdensome. We delight in doing what Jesus did because the truth lives in us. But have you ever wrestled with whether or not you love God enough?

There have certainly been times in my own life when I didn’t feel like I was doing enough. Maybe my heart felt distant. The love I once had felt like it had cooled off. It wasn’t that I had walked away from my faith. I was still reading my Bible, serving in my local church, and doing my best, with God’s help, to walk in obedience. But at times I’ve wondered if it was all enough.

God had to remind me of a simple truth. What is far more important than whether I always feel like I have loved God enough is the fact that God loves me. The good news is good because through Christ God has done something for me that I could never do on my own. My acceptance was not based on what I did, but on what Jesus did for me. My salvation was by grace through faith.

And so I am learning to stress less about whether I have loved God enough. God’s love for me is complete and final. Nothing can separate me from His love. Instead, I am choosing to rest in God’s love for me. He loves me far more than I could ever love Him back. As much as I seek to love and obey God, it will always pale in comparison to how much He loves me!

Father, thank You for loving me far more than I could ever love You back. You have saved me and forgiven me. You are changing me from the inside out. Teach me to rest in Your unconditional love. Help me love You back, not to earn Your love, but because I already have Your perfect love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When and why have you wrestled with whether you love God enough?

How does the cross change your motivation for obedience?