Duty?

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you." Psalm 32: 8-9

So, how would you describe your part in your relationship with God - as one who obeys and follows reluctantly because, really, you have to...or, as one who obeys and follows joyfully out of a loving thankful heart? Maybe somewhere in between? I think these are important questions to consider. The Scriptures seem to indicate that "why" we obey is more important even than "if" we obey. Our motives are important to God. He wants us to want to follow and obey, and not to do so begrudging out of compulsion. And really, can you blame Him?

If you were in crazy love with someone, how would you want them to respond to your love? And when I say crazy love I mean crazy love: someone that you are so in besotted with that you think about them all the time, you do whatever you can to bring them joy and contentment, you shower them with tokens of your affection, and you would protect them to the death (even if it meant giving up your own life). How would you want the object of your desire to respond to your love?

Perhaps they could send you flowers with a note attached that read, "Here are the flowers you require, I bought them for you because I had to meet your expectations." Perhaps a part of their wedding vows sounded something like this, "I will always care for you, because I am obliged to do so. I will never leave you, because that would probably make you upset." Or perhaps on the occasion of your anniversary, you are invited out for dinner with a, "well if we must go...let go and get it over with."

I am thinking that these responses just seem ridciulous right? One wants their love returned in equal intensity. One wants their affection returned in kind with heartfelt meaning and not duty.

God shows His love to us in many ways, including directing us in the way we should go in life, and by always keeping a loving protective eye on us - not to mention the greatest of these...giving up His own life for us.

How do we often respond to God's love in our relationship with Him? If you're like me, you are often like the mule in David's Psalm - needing bit and bridle to forcefully make you respond accordingly against your will. Obeying and following, but not being crazy about doing it. In fact, if you didn't feel like you had to obey God, would you still?

God wants us to want to follow and obey Him. His desire for us, is that we love Him with the same intensity as He loves us. A true joyful relationship with God comes from not only receiving His love, but responding in kind out devotion and gratitude.

Be God's, Scott