Do You Love God More?


A common question asked in the Body of Christ is, "Do you love God?" It almost seems like a silly question because all Christians love God, right? I mean, God's love and believer's reciprocating that love is Christianity 101. It is the foundation for everything that we do. So, really the question should be, "Do you love God more?"

In John 21:15 Jesus asked Peter did he love Him more? The Lord is asking the same question today because many people say that they love God, but they do not love Him more than their money, career, ministry, children, etc. This is seen in the way that they show their love for God. You see, it's never an issue of whether a person love's God or not. The question is, was and forever will be, "Do you love Him more?"

This has been an incredible season in the Lord where He is challenging our love life with Him. This is a challenge because most have been going about the Lord's work with a sense that their love life with God is going just fine. Church attendance, serving and giving are all in tact as well as private, personal and public devotion. However, something is missing and the question still remains, "Do you love God more?"

Take a look at the discourse between Jesus and His disciples found in Matthew 16:13-17. It says, "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar- jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

This is one of the most profound verses in the Bible because it holds the key to what is missing. Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I am?" They gave some answers, but Jesus wasn't satisfied with their response so He made it a bit more personal. He then asked, "Who do you say that I am?" Only Peter answered this question with, "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus then told Peter that he was blessed because of the revelation he received from the Father.

This passage is teaching that it is the revelation that makes the difference and that revelation is personal. It will never matter if your neighbor, spouse or friend has a revelation of loving God more. The question comes back to you and whether you have the revelation. Do you have a revelation of what it means to love God more?

I believe that what is missing in the lives of believers is a revelation of first, God's love to them and second what it means to love Him more. You see, if you don't have a well-instructed, deep, experiential (i.e. revelation) of God's love for you, you will never be able to love Him more. Loving God more is the natural out flow of the revelation of His love for you. Until you receive this revelation, you will continue to struggle with loving God, yourself and everybody else. Until you receive this revelation, you cannot accurately answer the question of, "Do I love God more?"

Therefore I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. I pray that the covers be pulled back in your mind and that you would receive the revelation of God's love for you so that you can truly begin to experience the richness of loving God more.

Until next time, love, peace and blessing,

Dr. Sheila

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