Nougat 8

We tend to use the word Love so loosely these days: we love our spouse, we love a fiancé/e (until the breakup), we love cats/dogs, we love specific clothes, we love certain foods, we love celebrities or preachers and other popular people, we love a type of movies or songs, we love comfort, we love family and friends, and we love God.

How do we distinguish between all those lovings? Consider today’s Holy Nougat

“This is what I’m commanding you today: Love the Lord your God, follow his directions, and obey his commands, laws, and rules. Then you will live, your population will increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you’re about to enter and take possession of.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:16‬ ‭GW‬‬

Of a truth, it may be that the English language has a dearth of words to capture the nuances between the different types of love. For (hopefully), our love of food is not garnering the same sentiments as family and friends. And the response to a movie or song is not the same as what we do with clothing or jewelry. And our food love is vastly different from what we do with our pets.

Who knows, all those different lovings may be ways we live our love for God our loud.

But highly unlikely

One of the major differences between the love between us and God is that it began with Creation. God started with a word, a concept and from that thought, conceived us in God’s likeness and blessed us. We were loved before time! That’s more than a long and lasting love – God’s love is ‘everlasting’ (Jeremiah 31:3).

It stands to reason that we receive that love, grasp the depth of such love (Psalm 8:1-3; John 3:15-17; John 15:13), and respond to that love.

Our first response is to accept ourselves as God’s beloved Creation (Genesis 1:26-28; Ephesians 2:10). When we see ourselves as God sees us, we are ready to Love God Who first loved us.

Usually, our love response includes our recognition that our God is a package deal. Being Trinitarian in nature; God’s Spirit lives in us as the fulfillment of God’s promise through Jesus. Jesus being God become human to help us grasp the full extent of God’s love for us. This realization often leads to ‘devotion’ as we usually wish to be in God’s presence at all times.

The Good News is – we are!

Whether we accept God’s awesome Love or not, we are ALWAYS and forever in God’s presence. On accepting God’s love and committing to deepen the relationship, we activate the presence of God’s Spirit WITHIN us, resulting in our increased access to the ways of God. This usually strengthens our relationship. As the relationship deepens we’ll talk with God more; offer ourselves to Act on God’s behalf, or to Speak with God on behalf of others.

Soon, even the way we speak, think and act will reflect our love for God and God’s influence upon us. Interestingly (or maybe ironically), although this may be unwise in interpersonal relationships, we know that adopting God’s ways result in positive transformation of our lives.

So, do we still classify our love for God in the same way we would our clothing? I sincerely hope not.

May God’s love overtake us today in such ways that we are passionate in our response.

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May all we seek be found in Christ