I've been thinking a lot lately about what it really means to love Jesus. Although, this can relate to everyone, this blog will mostly be about what to look for when deciding who to date and potentially marry because that seems to be a common topic of conversation among friends these days. Here's how it all began...
I was in a small group of females for awhile. This group consisted of single ladies, mostly in our mid twenties to early thirties. As could be assumed, the topic of men came up often. Whenever someone would mention a new guy they were talking, dating, or considering dating, someone would ask "Does he love Jesus?" (Always said in a deep, manly voice to make it more official sounding). This was our attempt at really understanding where he was coming from. Did he really love Jesus, or just check the proverbial "Christian" box on his online dating profile?
A few months ago, I was talking to a friend about a guy. She knew what I was going to ask, so she said to me, "He's a Lutheran so he obviously loves Jesus." This both scared me and got me to thinking. Do we really know what it means to love Jesus?
I was talking to another friend about this one time when her roommate had some people over. She was telling me that there was a cute guy in her living room with an Oregon Duck hoodie on. I sarcastically replied, "Well, he must love Jesus then." (She's a Beaver fan, I'm not). That's when the idea for this blog started.
What does it mean to love Jesus? Let's take this question to His Word, and find out.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. "
The Lord is One, that means Jesus too. How do we show our love for Jesus? By loving Him and telling others about Him. If His words and His truths aren't being professed to others, do we really love Him?
John 13:34-35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
How do we show our love for Jesus? By loving one another.
1 John 4:7,13-21 backs up this thought, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."
So, what does it mean to love Jesus? Love God, love others (and Go Ducks!)
