How Much Do We Love God Actually?

GOD is love. We love Him because He first loves us (1 John 4:19). Our love originates from God by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). 

Jesus' imperative for us is to love God wholeheartedly and to love people fervently.

" So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” "(Luke 10:27; NKJV)

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35; NKJV)

It is easy to say that we love God. However, is our love for Him shallow and according to our own dictate such that we pick and choose to love God when it is convenient and expedient, and love people only when they are lovable or only when we feel like loving them?

In John 14:12-14 Jesus spoke of having faith in God to do the greater works with His help and in verses 16-17 He spoke of sending another Helper in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Sandwiched between the aforesaid verses, Jesus said: " “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” " (John 14:15; NKJV)

After Peter's denial of Christ and Jesus' resurrection, Jesus encouraged Peter three times to keep loving Him by feeding and tending His sheep in spite of Peter's earlier misplaced and resolute distancing from having anything to do with Him. (John 21)

Without the undergirding of love for God and people, our good works will amount to nothing. "And now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13; NKJV) 

How much do we love God actually? God's love for us is undeniable. But our love for God will only be known through the inner witness of the Holy Spirit who searches our heart and knows how much we truly love God wholeheartedly and love people fervently.