How MUCH Do We Love God

First some wonderful news: God can make our love increase and abound.

1 Thessalonians 3:12: And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

Measuring our love for God is a very inexact thing. It sometimes appears that individuals saved from a long and horribly depraved life love God more than those who were saved during the innocence of their childhood.

Luke 7:47: Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

It also seems that the longer we are saved the better we ought to be able to love Him. The better we know Him the more we will love Him. Loving God is a growth process that won*t be perfected until we get to heaven. In my experience in ministry to older folk in nursing homes it seems that older believers that still have their wits about them love the Lord more than most young believers. And older unbelievers hate more vigorously than young unbelievers.

I cannot measure how much you love God and it is unwise for me to try.

2 Corinthians 10:12: For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Much of our love for God is unseen by others. How much do we love God when we are alone with Him? He alone truly knows how much each of us loves Him. But it is wise for each of us to try to measure our own love for God and try to love Him more and ask Him to help us love Him more.

1 Corinthians 11:31: For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

I would suggest some ways we might measure our love for Him: How often do we resist some temptation? How often do we obey Him? How often do we want to please Him? How much time do we give Him? How much time do we spend with Him in prayer and in His Word? How often do we consult Him about what we should do? How often do we meditate on His works and His Word? How often do we seek Him?

Are we willing to spend an hour in church on Sundays but not an hour and a half or two? Are we only willing to go to one worship service a week? Are we only willing to speak about Him when in the company of other believers? Are we willing to step across a puddle to serve Him but not an ocean? Are we willing to go out of our way to serve Him but just a little bit out of our way? Are we willing to suffer for Him? Are we willing to be thought of as fools by men but as faithful men by God?

Do we love ourselves more than others? And even worse, do we love ourselves more than we love God?

Luke 10:27: And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

It is natural for us to be satisfied with ourselves and unsatisfied with God. The right way to love God is to be unsatisfied with ourselves and satisfied with Him. That way we can love Him more than self. It is frightful to me how often I get an opinion of myself that is too high and how often I get an opinion of God that is too low. Those are the times when I love myself more than I love God. Thank God that He forgives that. Our worst and most frequent sin is putting ourselves above God in some way. That is when we love Him the least.

Romans 12:3: For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Care to discuss How MUCH Do We Love God with Ron?

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