That Four Letter Word: I Love You
God, I love you with all my heart!
How often do we tell God we love Him with our whole heart, when in fact, our hearts are cluttered by sticky web of lust, greed, and our own selfish ambitions? 1 John 2:15-17 says, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.And the world will pass away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God will live forever.”
Along life’s journey, it’s easy to lose focus. Sometimes it’s when we crumble under the pressures around us, other times it’s because we’ve become distracted by something enticing and we rush to fulfill that urge. Either way, following our own agenda leads to big trouble. Matthew 6:24a says, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other…” You can’t have it both ways. You can’t surrender your heart, your whole heart, to both your desires and God. In Exodus 20:3, God makes it plain as He begins giving His Ten Commandments to His people. He says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
This morning, I woke up with the above words burning in my heart. It’s imperative that we stay focused on those things that are most important. We’re each created for a wonderful purpose, but we’re easily persuaded at times “just follow our hearts”. If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a hundred times, but here’s the thing Jeremiah 17:9 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” From day to day, our wants and desires change. On our own, we’re never satisfied, our thirst for more is never quenched. The billionaire always wants one more dollar, the actor is always searching for that bigger role and world is always searching for that inner peace. It’s impossible for this world to supply us with what we most desperately need. The void in our soul can only be filled by our creator, God.
Many of us will tell God we love Him with our whole heart, but He knows whether something else really holds that rank. Examine yourself today and seek to know the truth. Who or what really has your love, devotion and whole heart? It’s a question that requires an answer. Be sure the choice you make is the right one.




