motivated by love

Words are powerful. They are far more than the sum total of the letters necessary to produce their specific sound. They are representations of deeper things. Things that are born in our innermost being. Concepts, emotions, ideas and more. They start deep within and then are processed through the filter of language and then are set free to go out and fulfill their purpose. The authors of the Bible recognized this, in fact in the creation poem it says that God SPOKE and the universe was created. It also says that in the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God and the Word was God. Words are powerful. We must choose them with great care and concern, to insure that they fulfill their intended purpose with accuracy and precision.

In the study of life, of God and the things of God it is crucial that we choose those words carefully because belief and systems of belief are formed around those words.

There is a word that God is helping me understand with greater accuracy. The word is love. The Bible says that God is love, so to understand God we must fully understand love and to fully understand love we must understand God.

Thinking on this I have realized that all of my life I have misunderstood something fundamental to who I am and what God's intention is for me. All my life I have been in church learning all of these things. The things of God. Some people might refer to these things as the Laws of God and the concept has always been that I will do these things if I love God. Lately I have been reading the words of God with new eyes and I now see that in actuality If I love God, I will do these things.

The difference is subtle, and a cursory reading of the two lines might lead you to believe that they are one in the same, the same concept. God has been changing me in this area and I have begun to read scripture in the light of the two greatest commandments of Jesus. Love God with all of your heart, sole, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus is telling us here that the thing he wants most from me is my love. He does not want my time, my money, my obedience, or my life. He wants me to love him with all of my being.

In my relationship with my wife and with my kids I do not serve them to love them. I love them and so I love to serve them. I love them, I love them so much it hurts me and everything in me wants to do for them and make them happy and to make sure that they have what they need and so much more. God teaches me through them everyday. If I do the things of God it does not mean that I love God, but if I love God I will do the things of God, naturally, organically as a matter of course.

God, show me you, show me love and I know that I will continue to fall in love because you are love.