A New Day

By: Pastor Johnie Akers

John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” A husband didn’t genuinely love his wife as he should. The man was very demanding, so much so that he prepared a list of rules and regulations for his wife to follow. He insisted that she read them over every day and obey them to the letter. Among other things, his “do’s and don’ts” indicated such details as what time she had to get up in the morning, when his breakfast should be served, and how the housework should be done. After several long years, the husband died. As time passed, the woman fell in love with another man, one who dearly loved her. Soon they were married. This husband did everything he could to make his new wife happy, continually showering her with tokens of his appreciation. One day as she was cleaning house, she found tucked away in a drawer the list of commands her first husband had drawn up for her. As she looked it over, it dawned on her that even though her present husband hadn’t given her any kind of list, she was doing everything her first husband’s list required anyway. She realized she was so devoted to this man that her deepest desire was to please him out of love, not obligation. Our relationship with God should not be based upon trying to earn his devotion based on adhering to a list of “do’s and don’ts.” The fact is, God’s love for us has nothing to do with us—it is based solely upon His character; “God is love.” There is nothing we can do that will cause God to stop loving us. There is nothing we can do that can cause God to love us more. What then is our motivation to do good? It is found in our Scripture lesson today. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to do good, not to make Him love us, or to earn His favor, but simply because we love Him—and our adherence to His commandments is an expression of the love and gratitude we have for Him. Living for God should be a joy and pleasure, not a heavy burden. What we do for Him should be out of love, not obligation; as He expresses His unconditional love for us with each new day.