Do you love Him?

I love my husband, which means, that I want to spend time with him, be with him, talk to him, go places with him, listen to his thoughts and dreams and make them my thoughts and dreams.  I do things out of love and respect for my husband too, I wear my hair long, because he likes it that way, I make mashed potatoes for him because he likes them, even though I do not.  Some things, that I used to not like, I have gained an appitite for , such as coffee, and steak..he still has not won me over to dill pickles, however.

If I never spent time with my husband- listening to his heart, what his day was like, what he is thinking, and telling him about my day, my thoughts, my difficulties, my joys- our relationship would be much more shallow.  If, instead I tried to make mashed potatoes every day and never wear my hair up- to prove my love and devotion to him, would that make up for the lack of communing with him?  No, it in no way would!  Our time spent together talking, listening, encouraging, spurring; forms the majority of our relationship and allows us to go our separate ways during the day, yet speak on one another's behalf, for me to write from the both of us, for him to represent our family to the community, etc.

Most days, I braid my long hair, or wear it in a bun because our baby grabs it and tries to stuff it in her little mouth, pulling it and often breaking it.  She will outgrow it, she will learn not to.  My loving husband understands my plight and does not take the least offense that my hair is not free flowing every day.  He also does not demand that I like mashed potatoes or make them everyday.  He is thoughtful that way, and kind.

Our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father is much the same, do you see?

So often I see people trying to live a "pleasing life" for God, without communing with Him- spending time in His word and in prayer.  They are missing the bulk, and most important portion of the Christian life.  These same ones spend all their efforts living in rules and regulations that they think will make them closer to the God whom they rarely spend time with.  I am not judging; I am stating what I know. I have heard their stories, heard their cries, seen their thirst unquenched and watched as they try in vain to fill that God sized hole in their soul with other stuff.
The greatest commandment is not that we keep a list of rules, the greatest commandment is to love God. 

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes all knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."  Ephesians 3:17-19

How do we love God? The same as we love people: by devoting ourselves to a relationship, interacting with one another, living in grace with one another, seeking to know one another.  Out of this love, we desire to please...I make a caramel desert for my friend when she comes for tea because I know she loves caramel.  I do not have to.  She will be delighted with  whatever I serve- she loves me that much.  The loving comes first and remains the priority. The doings are like frosting on a cake, but ya gotta have the cake, for the frosting is not a desert in and of itself.  Paul puts it this way in the letter to the Philippians...but notice that the love comes first and then out of it flows fruits of righteousness...
"And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all understanding, that you may discern things that are excellent; that you may be sincere without offense until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."  1:9-11

I love my husband.  I love talking with him in the morning over a cup of coffee, I look forward to chatting with him in the evening after the children are in bed.  In between, we may message back and forth or chat on the computer..just staying in touch through out the day.  A constant communing of heart and soul...we journey this life together, one mind, for one purpose- our lives so entwined it is impossible to extract one from the other.  This is relationship in fullness, and it brings great joy and contentment.  It is the way we were made to be.  With one another.  With God.