“Do You Love God?”

“Do You Love God?”
My first knowledge of a musician called Lapiro de Mbanga was through the song, “for Kumba ehh, no money no love…” Somewhere in the song he says a lady asked him, “na love dem di chop?”
Take this question away from Lapiro’s “eros love” song and ask it in the context of “filial love” and the answer will be a “No!” The love of parents for their children is expressed in action.
Take the question to the deeper context of “agape love” and definitely the answer is still a “No!” We do not eat love!
In the Bible both love and its opposite hatred “as moral qualities are not primarily emotions, but attitudes expressed in actions.” This is well expressed in the first letter of John: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions in truth.”
Earlier on John states that “we should love one another” and that we shouldn’t be like Cain who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. Evil lurks in the hearts of those whose actions are evil so they tend to hate those whose actions are righteous.
The world is full of people whose actions are evil, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when they tend to hate those who love others. Those who love have passed through death. On the contrary, “anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer” and does not have eternal life in him (I Jn.3:11-18).
The sum total is that love just like faith is determined by action towards the object of love (cf Jam 2:14-17). Both John and James were quite close to Jesus during his earthly ministry so they experienced the depth of his love even before he gave himself as a ransom for all humanity. They too had their fair share of sacrificial service and death. The same is expected of each of us.
If you ask me, “Do you love God?” I will definitely say, “Yes!” However the truth of whether my answer is true or false is clearly visible through my actions towards others! So my friend, do you love God?
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit help me not to love with words or tongue but with actions and truth. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!