God’s Two Thermometers

Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

1 John 2:5

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

Have you ever tried out Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous line on a dating partner or spouse?

From a biblical perspective, there are only two correct answers to that famous question. If you’re speaking to another person, you show your love by meeting his or her needs. We love others by being more concerned for their needs than for our own (Philippians 2:3), so we seek ways to serve and to provide for them. But if we’re saying, “How do I love Thee?” to God, the answer is different. God, being God, has no needs we can fill, so loving God means obeying Him. Jesus talked about obedience a lot: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15); “Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves me” (John 14:21, NIV); “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching” (John 14:23, NIV).

These are the Great Physician’s two thermometers for testing the health of our love. Do we care for the needs of others? Are we obedient to God?

Spiritual growth consists most in the growth of the root, which is out of sight.

MATTHEW HENRY