IF ANYONE LOVES ME

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

-John 14:23-24 (NKJV)

My family and I were walking to our vehicle after a wonderful morning at church; and as we made our way through the parking lot, my son’s little hand in mine and my daughter holding tight to the security in her daddy’s hand, my son looks up at me and says, “Mommy, I want to walk with Daddy, I like him better.” Wow, what a blow! I was obviously hurt and my initial response was one of anger as I said a few words in retaliation and then pouted the entire drive home. Eventually, I left the pity party I was throwing for myself and spoke to my son these words, “Jacob, when you say that you love Daddy more than Mommy, that hurts me really deeply. But you know what, even when you hurt me, I still love you.”

As I played the events of that day over in my head, going over my response and how I could have handled the situation a little better, it hit me right between the eyes. No, not how to handle it better, but how God must feel when we choose other things over Him. Even thinking about it now, brings me to tears as I reflect on all the times I have chosen television, sleep, etc. over Him. What pain that must cause Him, when by my actions I speak ever so clearly to Him, “God, I am going to sleep in this morning, I like sleep more than You.” At least my son was telling me he liked his daddy more than me, what am I choosing over God; sleep, television?

God loves us so very much and so often we respond with, “God, I want to do…, I like it more than You.” Oh, how this must grieve Him! And yet, He loves us with a love beyond anything we can fathom. Our Father in Heaven desires for us to choose Him; to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. But how, how do we show Him our love? Is it with a sentimental card on Father’s day? What is the perfect gift for the God of the universe? We find the answer in John 14:23-24 when Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” What can we give to our Father in Heaven, the Creator of all things, the God of the universe? We can give Him the gift of our love by keeping His word. There isn’t a father I know who doesn’t treasure the love of His child more than any other gift that can be given.

I write to you today with a new found understanding and appreciation for God and His love for me and I will look at the choices I make from a whole new perspective. How about you?

COACH'S CALL TO ACTION

• What have you chosen over God, your Father in Heaven this week?
  
• What impact do you think those choices had on God?
  
• What did Jesus mean by “If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word;” in John 14:23?
  
• How does this impact your choices, your life?

Copyright © 2010 Radiant Sun Life Coaching. All rights reserved.

FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN

Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

-Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NKJV)

The Lord calls to me “Come closer.” He beckons me to draw near. But I am too busy to sit at His feet. My mind is too full to listen to what He desires for me to hear. He whispers, “Be still and know that I am God.” But I cannot for I do not have the patience to be still. I long for His direction, for Him to reveal the path to take, but I cannot hear Him over my own voice.

“For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let you words be few.” is running over and over in my mind tonight and I find myself in a place of reflection and examination. So often I approach prayer as a time to blurt, a time to just put everything out there and dump it at the Lord’s feet and then continue on with my day. While my burden is lighter, I find that I am still wanting. I am wanting direction, I am wanting clarity and discernment, I am wanting wisdom, I am wanting to know God’s will, I am wanting to hear God’s voice. I am left wanting because I have not allowed God to speak. I have forgotten, or maybe I never really understood until this moment, who God is. I have been seeing God as a friend who is always on call, who will listen to me whenever I need an ear to hear me. But I have failed to really see Him for His glory; I have been lacking the reverence for God that He deserves, the reverence that Mary had as she sat quietly at the feet of Jesus. Oh, how I long to be more like Mary; to desire nothing more than to sit at the Lord’s feet, hanging on and breathing in every word He speaks.

In the gentle breeze He speaks ever so softly, “Do you love Me?” Yes Lord, yes I love You and I want nothing more than to sit at your feet and bask in Your glory!

Shhh…He’s calling to you, “Come closer.” He’s beckoning you to draw near. Can you hear Him?

COACH'S CALL TO ACTION

• When many where speculating as to who Jesus was, Jesus asked His apostles, “Who do you say that I am?” If Jesus where to ask you this today, how would you respond? (Matthew 16:13-16)
  
• When Jesus showed Himself to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, He asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” (John 21:15)
  

1. Read John 21 and answer the following questions.
2. What is your “these”?
3. What would your response be if Jesus were to ask you, “(Insert your name), do you love Me? Do you love me more than these?”

Copyright © 2010 Radiant Sun Life Coaching. All rights reserved.