Love-----Real Love------God's Love

I John 4:19
We love Him because He first loved us.

Found myself in a strange place this week.
Asking myself, "Do you really love God?"
I know that I have claimed to love Him.
I know that the words have come out of my mouth....
But is that the real truth?
Does my life reflect this love I profess to have?

One might say that I do love God because I am a pastor.
Isn't it possible that being a pastor was just the by product of a thought or a desire? Yes it is.
I might say that I love God because I work at a drug and alcohol treatment center....but I'm sure that they are others who do the same work, who truly don't profess love for God.After all, it is hard to love someone that you can't see, touch, taste or smell. Notice I didn't say "feel or touch". Because this love for God exists in that realm....in the heart. 
It becomes a knowing that grows and takes over every part of your being.

I think God allows us to experience such questions as "Do I love you?" in order to remind of us of some simple truths.
He loved us before we loved Him.
He loved us when we were out there in the spiritual darkness.
He loved us when His Holy named rolled off our tongues in the form of a curse.
He loved us when we were hurting so bad that our thoughts weren't even on Him, but instead were on the next "using" time.
He loved us when rejected Him at every turn. Rejected His word, rejected His church...and rejected those He sent to speak truth to us. We rejected Him! We grew angry at the way our lives were turning out, and turned that anger toward God as if He were responsible for our bad choices.
Truth be known, I think God would probably have been very fair to, at one point, say, "I'm through..I've done all I can. If he doesn't want me...then I don't want Him."
I'm so thankful that He didn't give up on me. His love for me was far greater than my love for Him.

Such is the place where real love for God is born.
In the moments when you are very much in touch with God's saving grace...not because He had to, but because He wanted to.
When you measure the extent of sin and damage you have brought about, and in spite of everything, God was still there waiting and drawing you to Himself.
Such actions on His part draws out love on my part.
Yes, I'm thankful for what God has done to me, for me and through me...but my love for Him is beyond that. My love for Him is simple...I love Him for who He is. His character. His nature. His very presence is life to me.
You can't explain to someone what chocolate cake taste like until you have eaten a piece.
You can't tell someone what the love of God feels like until you have been bathed in it.
So today, I do love God and I know it to be something that comes from my heart and my spirit. It is a real love. It is the fuel that keeps me getting up every day and saying, "What now, Lord? Where do You want me to go? What do You want me to do?"

God on you....
mb