Loving God means obeying his commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us. ~ 1 John 5:3 (ERV)
For some reason, God, we like to make things harder than they are. Maybe having a hard task makes us feel important. Maybe we like to imagine ourselves in a great overwhelming battle. But it sounds like things are a lot simpler than that. If we truly love you, we will obey your commandments. Your Spirit has allowed us to internalize those commands. They are written inside us and they are not too hard for us to obey. We know what to do. And we have the power to do it.
So if it is that easy, why do I sin so much? Could it be that I don't love you as much as I think or pretend that I do? It's a good thing that your love for me does not depend on my consistent love for you. And the more I realize that, the easier it is to do what you've told me to do. Amen.
Challenging Words
- internalize -- to make an attitude, value, or behavior a part of one's nature -- the fabric or essence of who you are. That is, if something is internalized, it becomes a part of who you are and cannot be separated from you.
- consistent -- something that does not change. It is always the same.