"LOVE FOR GOD IS NOT PERFECT"

Monday, May 07, 2007
Reading: John 14:21—26

Keeping the commandments of God is not only a sign of our faith, according to what Jesus says today it is also a sign of our love.“He who obeys the commandments he has from me is the man who loves me ... Anyone who does not love me does not keep my words.”

And so, all we have to do to know whether we love God or not is to take stock of our activities. Are we living according to the commandments of God, are the teachings of Christ at the basis of all we say and do? If not, then we don’t love God or his Son. Simple as that! Or is it?

I think we are more complex than that. Most certainly our love for God is not perfect. If it were, we would be as the saints in heaven whose every thought and motion results from their love for God. Though we sometimes do not keep God’s commandments, though we sometimes act as if we have never heard a word Christ spoke, I think we do have love deep in us for both Jesus and his Father. Moods and feelings play a large part in influencing our behavior. We sometimes allow them to be our guides instead of God’s words and commands. We even do that with the people closest to our hearts. Though we love them we sometimes offend them.

I think you and I love God even though we sometimes yield to temptation and sin. We just have to pray for greater love and work harder to express it, especially when we don’t feel like it. Do you love God? Of course you do. And he loves you.