She loved her husband deeply but refused to do any of the things that mattered to him, especially when they required effort.
He greatly respected his professor but never took notes in class, never studied for an exam, and never did assignments.
She honored her parents but rarely called them and seldom followed their advice.
Obviously these three descriptions do not define love, respect, or honor. True heart attitudes are revealed in actions and words.
The same is true with our relationship with God.
1. We can't love Him but refuse to do the things that please Him.
John 14:21: "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me."
2. We can't respect Him but never study His Word.
Matthew 4:4: Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
3. We can't honor Him unless we genuinely take on His purposes for our lives.
Matthew 11:29: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Ephesians 2:10: "We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
We don't love, respect, and honor God perfectly—I know I don't—but let's ponder these three areas today and ask where we need improvement.
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To find inspiration and encouragement in these areas:
1. See Claiming that Sin is No Big Deal.
2. See the Bible Love Notes collection of 1-minute devotions offering Quiet Time Tips to make your quiet time more meaningful. If you're a subscriber, you can hit reply when you get your devotion in your email and request the free e-booklet, "10 Days to a More Meaningful Quiet Time." If you're not a subscriber, please sign up for a free subscription because Bible Love Notes can help keep you in the Word! Subscription info HERE.
Bible Love Notes
Good spiritual food for thought.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent example!!! Great post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Heart attitudes are reflected in both our words & actions. So very true & a great reminder. Thank you, Gail.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is Amen action speaks louder than words
ReplyDeleteThis speaks the truth for the present time
ReplyDeleteAgreed that our love for the LORD should be 'tangible ' and as per your post it can be so demonstrated . We can never ' say we love ' in a vacuum . Such an encouragement in that your post reflects what ' we can do ' to reciprocate our LORD's love for us .
ReplyDeleteWe all are in need of this especially in times like this.
ReplyDelete