I don't want to scare you away, but I have to admit this devo might fall under the category of things we don't really want to hear but need to. There are plenty of times when you and I get to hear accolades, and at-a-boys. We soak up all the feel-good encouragement we can get. But, there are times when we need straight forward truth too.

If you want to love God you need to obey Him. I feel that as humans we don't suffer with a lack of love for God, we suffer with a lack of obedience to God. In some aspects we really can't separate the two, for without obedience how can we truly find validation for love? We must remember that love is not a feeling or a fantasy but a commitment. If we have committed love towards God then we will obey him.

Is your love to God based more on your feelings or on commitment? All too often love becomes fancy words with empty intentions in an effort to mask over the rotting unfaithfulness of our hearts. True love has a passion for commitment. It is in our obedience to God that we live out the commitment of our love. The more we love God the more we find joy in obedience to Him. When we obey God we position ourselves to receive and understand more of the desires of His heart. So, perhaps it isn't that we need to love God more, we need to obey God more. What we struggle with is ‘partial obedience'. This is when we obey part of God's will but find ways to get out of the parts we don't like. It's like obeying God when it's easy or convenient but not when it keeps us from having what our flesh desires. C.S. Lewis says that we often tell God he can have all that we are, but secretly hope that when God is done with us there will be a little of us leftover that we can do what we want with. We have forgotten God's passion for obedience.

Think about this kind of obedience. “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:8) This passage about what Jesus did by dying on the cross was out of obedience. But, it wasn't just obedience that took him there it was a committed love to his Father. Maybe you could be obedient in death, but are you being obedient right now with your day-to-day life? If you and I are to keep making these statements that we want to love and serve God we need to get serious about obeying Him. I know you and I can talk the talk but can we walk the walk?

“love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold fast to him and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Jos. 22:5)

- Josh