That's Love!

I am noticing a trend going on in the world. A lot of people are validating their behavior (or other's behavior) on the simple basis that "God is love."

God is love so I can do what makes me happy regardless of what the Bible might say about it being wrong. God is love so why would He not want you to do whatever pleases you? God is love so however you choose to display your 'love' is okay with me since all love comes from God.

People have equated God with a jolly man in the sky that just wants us all to have a good time, do whatever we feel, and act in whatever manner brings us joy. No matter what the Word might say. Any rebuttal against apparent is viewed as judgment - and you know the Bible says we shouldn't judge others.

It makes no sense. How can you describe God in one verse? Yes, God is love, but He told us that if we loved Him we would keep His commandments. (John 14:15) And it's those very commands that people break while shouting that God is okay with it because He is love.

It reminds me when I was a kid. I had loving parents that wanted me to enjoy life and be happy. But their love hurt sometimes. They had rules in the house. They set boundaries. I couldn't just act any way I chose. And when I did get out of line, they disciplined me. That discipline hurt.

Despite the hurt, I knew they were still acting in love. No matter how unfair I thought their rules and boundaries were, I knew they were doing what was best for me (if not at the time, I realized it later).

So it is with our Heavenly Father. Yes, He is loving and wants us all to enjoy our lives and live in happiness. But He also set rules for us in His Word. He created boundaries for our behavior. He put guidelines in place to make sure that we had the best life possible. (Hebrews 12:6)

Yes, it may sting that we can't just do what we want, when we want, and how we want. However, there is a reason for it all far beyond what we can see. If we love God, we'll trust that He is guiding us correctly.

We do serve a God who is love. But if we love Him at all, we'll get to know what He wants from us and live accordingly.

Verse of the Day: Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3 (NLT)