"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love." John 15:9
How do you view God's commands?
If you're not familiar with God's commands, let me share a few: "You must not have any other god but Me. You must not make for yourself an idol...Honor your father and mother...You must not steal...You must not lie or envy others. (Exodus 20) ...Listen to Me. Love me with all your heart...Do what is right and good. (Deuteronomy 6) ...Share your food with the hungry and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them and help those in trouble. (Isaiah 58) ...Show love; Know Me. (Hosea 6) ...Be glad and rejoice. Cheer up! Don't be afraid! (Zephaniah 3) ...Love your neighbor; Love your enemies! Do to others as you would like them to do to you. (Matthew 5) ...Don't worry; Seek Me above all else, and trust Me to take care of you. (Matthew 6) ...Stay close to Me; Stay close to My love; Love each other. (John 15)
You may view these commands as restrictive, impossible to keep, or outdated. You may view them as what you must do to please God. You may view them as rules God expects you to follow. But have you ever thought of them as being what is best for you?
Believe it or not, God wants you to be happy. He wants to bless you. He wants to help you. He wants to guide you and give you a great life. He tells us how. That's what His commands are about. That's why He wants you to know Him and seek Him and love Him: because it's the best thing for you. You need Him, and He wants you to hold on tight to His love.
You may think you have to do it all on your own, but that couldn't be more wrong! Ask Him for help. Receive forgiveness quickly when you fail. Believe He loves you. Even if you can't feel His love, believe it anyway. Tell yourself every day, "God loves me; I am precious to Him; He cares about me." Say it out loud. Write it down. Ask Jesus to help you believe it.
His commands are for your good, so know them and follow them. Trust Him every day and see where that takes you. Let Him teach you to live in His love.
How do you view God's commands?
If you're not familiar with God's commands, let me share a few: "You must not have any other god but Me. You must not make for yourself an idol...Honor your father and mother...You must not steal...You must not lie or envy others. (Exodus 20) ...Listen to Me. Love me with all your heart...Do what is right and good. (Deuteronomy 6) ...Share your food with the hungry and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them and help those in trouble. (Isaiah 58) ...Show love; Know Me. (Hosea 6) ...Be glad and rejoice. Cheer up! Don't be afraid! (Zephaniah 3) ...Love your neighbor; Love your enemies! Do to others as you would like them to do to you. (Matthew 5) ...Don't worry; Seek Me above all else, and trust Me to take care of you. (Matthew 6) ...Stay close to Me; Stay close to My love; Love each other. (John 15)
You may view these commands as restrictive, impossible to keep, or outdated. You may view them as what you must do to please God. You may view them as rules God expects you to follow. But have you ever thought of them as being what is best for you?
Believe it or not, God wants you to be happy. He wants to bless you. He wants to help you. He wants to guide you and give you a great life. He tells us how. That's what His commands are about. That's why He wants you to know Him and seek Him and love Him: because it's the best thing for you. You need Him, and He wants you to hold on tight to His love.
You may think you have to do it all on your own, but that couldn't be more wrong! Ask Him for help. Receive forgiveness quickly when you fail. Believe He loves you. Even if you can't feel His love, believe it anyway. Tell yourself every day, "God loves me; I am precious to Him; He cares about me." Say it out loud. Write it down. Ask Jesus to help you believe it.
His commands are for your good, so know them and follow them. Trust Him every day and see where that takes you. Let Him teach you to live in His love.
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