Loving God

Have you ever felt unloved?  Have you been depressed or brought down by thoughts of failure?  Have you struggled with feelings of inadequacy?  Do you ever feel like you are doing things all wrong?  I have been there.  I have wrestled with these perceptions of failure.  It is easy to look at the highlight reel on social media and think that you are not measuring up.  It is easy to find someone who is better than you at pretty much everything.  

The world offers plenty of advice about what to do when you feel down.  Usually, it involves focusing on yourself.  I know many women who have thrown away all that they love in the name of "finding themselves", "prioritizing self", "self-care", or "following their heart".  These all sound like good things, but in the end, they leave you unfulfilled and more lonely than when you started.  We are born selfish and narcissistic; it's not hard to follow this advice.  However, this is not what is best.  This life is not about us!    The best place to turn when you have these thoughts is to the Word of God.  Let your advice and direction come from God and not the world around you.

In Mark 12:29-31 Jesus is answering the questions of Pharisees who were trying to find an error in his teaching.  They questioned which commandment was the most important.  "Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  Our love should not be for ourselves, it should be for God.  Our whole life (heart, soul, mind, and strength) should be focused on loving God.  This is why we exist!  God made us to love Him, worship, and serve him.  When we stop focusing on God and turn our focus on ourselves, this is when we find ourselves failing.  We cannot truly follow the second commandment to love our neighbors if we do not first love God.  Our love for others must stem from our love of God.  We cannot do this in our own strength, it takes a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  We can only love God and others because God first loved us.  When we focus on God and bring glory to him, the love for others will follow.

Matthew 6:32-33 tells us, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you".  No matter what is going on around us, we do not have to worry.  God knows what is going on, and he knows just what we need.  We need to keep our focus on Him and trust Him to provide in every situation.  He will care for His people.  This is a passage I go back to frequently to remind myself that God will provide according to His will.  He shows us numerous examples throughout history of His care for His people that serve as a reminder and reassurance to us.  

Are you looking for love?  Seek God.  Are you depressed?  Seek God.  Are you feeling inadequate or that you have failed?  Seek God.  Jeremiah encouraged the Israelites with these words that are still true of God's people today, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13). Love God more than anyone else, more than your spouse, more than your children, and definitely more than yourself.  If you do find yourself in a place needing further help and counsel, find someone to come alongside you who will point you to Christ and the wisdom of God rather than the wisdom of the world.