“I love You, Lord.” As any Christian woman, I say this to Jesus throughout my day, sometimes audibly but mostly silently in my heart. However, I’ve recently been challenged in this area of my life. I needed to ask myself a few hard questions.
“Do I really love Him? How do I know I’m loving God as I truly should?”
The Bible tells me to love God with all of my heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). I’ve discovered in a fresh new way that it takes more than words to love like that.
My thoughts went back and forth from my relationship with God to my relationship with others. “What would happen in my relationships if I spoke words of love but my behavior displayed something different? How would I feel if my husband told me he loved me but didn’t act like it?” No doubt about it, those relationships would suffer.
Words matter. I believe the words we say will either build up or tear down any relationship (Ephesians 4:29). If any of my relationships have gone south, I can bet it’s because of words that were spoken. But just as our words matter, so does our conduct.
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” John 14:21
According to this verse, it is my obedience that proves my love to Jesus, not my words. So now when I tell the Lord I love Him, I stop and ask myself, “Am I showing my love to Him? What about others? Do they feel my love?”
I believe the old adage is true... Actions speak louder than words. I’ve decided to be more purposeful in showing my love to the Lord and to others.
What about you? Are you “showing” your love or is it merely speech? Maybe like me, you may need to ask yourself some challenging questions.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol.” 1 Corinthians 13:1
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
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