“To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid “big” sins –is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?” ~Francois Fenelon, The Seeking Heart
Pathetically enough people not only think that reading the Bible, attending church, avoiding the “big” sins is showing a passionate love for God but they think it qualifies them for being a Christian too. I must say, “Congratulations” to Satan for managing to sneak this lie in past the many people who have fallen for it hook line and sinker.
As they say in tennis its “all in the wrist” well passionate wholehearted love for God is all in how we approach the things we do. Things such as Bible reading, church attendance, and willful sin dodging. There should be a definite difference between showing up for church to be marked down in the attendance book and going there to worship the Lord. A noticeable variation between reading God’s Bible like a deep book that needs to be studied as compared to a shallow Romance novel that is read today and tossed tomorrow. A significant distinction between the understandings that sin is sin as compared to thinking it’s only the violation of the “big ones” that will get you into hell.
Our passionate, wholehearted love for God needs to be just that, a fervent enthusiastic affection for God. A love requiring intentional efforts on our part to study His word, go to church to worship and serve Him and to not sin. Doing whatever it takes to intentionally obey His Word, to follow His lead, and to show proof in our lives that He is living within.
Why in the world do we settle so often for mediocre when we can have something really awesome between our Lord and us, something vibrant and alive and growing daily that has no end that begins with us? Sadly enough we probably do this because we want things that end with us not begin with us. Things that have “us” written all over it instead of Christ as we nobly step aside for Him to go first to reach out to us then it becomes all about us.
Wrong! That’s not what passionate wholehearted love is all about. We’ve gone so far away from “wholehearted” that we don’t even know what it truly means. It means giving our total sincere unreserved heart to Jesus and stop holding back pieces for ourselves. We think we have enough zeal to go around but yet we find ourselves strapped thin from spreading it out so much that it loses its excitement and enthusiasm.
Our love for our Savior, our spouse, our children, family, friends, and anyone else is all in the wrist. It’s all in how we approach it and handle it daily. It’s what we intentionally put in to the relationship not what we get out of it. God’s passionate wholehearted love for us showed up in His act of sending His son to die for our sins. How is ours showing up? Where’s the proof?
We shouldn’t be afraid to look for the evidence. Especially when we can use it to correct where we may be slightly off so we can aim for that perfect passionate wholehearted love we can have between us and the Lord. The other day as I flipped a spit wad off my thumb towards my grandson I missed him as it went a little to the left. Turning to my mom I told her, “Well it tends to shoot a little to the left.” After that I used that proof to correct my aim as I managed to get him before he tickled me.
Our relationship with our Lord is our responsibility. It’s not going to grow on its own without intentional effort on our part. Don’t settle for mediocre. Go for the passion, display the zeal. It’s all in the wrist.
Worshiping daily
Reaching out always
Intentional living
Seeking Him
Turning towards God
Amen? AMEN!!!!!!
Our lovely host this week is Debbie over at, Heart Choices so hurry over there and read and share with the gang. It’s fun.
Pathetically enough people not only think that reading the Bible, attending church, avoiding the “big” sins is showing a passionate love for God but they think it qualifies them for being a Christian too. I must say, “Congratulations” to Satan for managing to sneak this lie in past the many people who have fallen for it hook line and sinker.
As they say in tennis its “all in the wrist” well passionate wholehearted love for God is all in how we approach the things we do. Things such as Bible reading, church attendance, and willful sin dodging. There should be a definite difference between showing up for church to be marked down in the attendance book and going there to worship the Lord. A noticeable variation between reading God’s Bible like a deep book that needs to be studied as compared to a shallow Romance novel that is read today and tossed tomorrow. A significant distinction between the understandings that sin is sin as compared to thinking it’s only the violation of the “big ones” that will get you into hell.
Our passionate, wholehearted love for God needs to be just that, a fervent enthusiastic affection for God. A love requiring intentional efforts on our part to study His word, go to church to worship and serve Him and to not sin. Doing whatever it takes to intentionally obey His Word, to follow His lead, and to show proof in our lives that He is living within.
Why in the world do we settle so often for mediocre when we can have something really awesome between our Lord and us, something vibrant and alive and growing daily that has no end that begins with us? Sadly enough we probably do this because we want things that end with us not begin with us. Things that have “us” written all over it instead of Christ as we nobly step aside for Him to go first to reach out to us then it becomes all about us.
Wrong! That’s not what passionate wholehearted love is all about. We’ve gone so far away from “wholehearted” that we don’t even know what it truly means. It means giving our total sincere unreserved heart to Jesus and stop holding back pieces for ourselves. We think we have enough zeal to go around but yet we find ourselves strapped thin from spreading it out so much that it loses its excitement and enthusiasm.
Our love for our Savior, our spouse, our children, family, friends, and anyone else is all in the wrist. It’s all in how we approach it and handle it daily. It’s what we intentionally put in to the relationship not what we get out of it. God’s passionate wholehearted love for us showed up in His act of sending His son to die for our sins. How is ours showing up? Where’s the proof?
We shouldn’t be afraid to look for the evidence. Especially when we can use it to correct where we may be slightly off so we can aim for that perfect passionate wholehearted love we can have between us and the Lord. The other day as I flipped a spit wad off my thumb towards my grandson I missed him as it went a little to the left. Turning to my mom I told her, “Well it tends to shoot a little to the left.” After that I used that proof to correct my aim as I managed to get him before he tickled me.
Our relationship with our Lord is our responsibility. It’s not going to grow on its own without intentional effort on our part. Don’t settle for mediocre. Go for the passion, display the zeal. It’s all in the wrist.
Worshiping daily
Reaching out always
Intentional living
Seeking Him
Turning towards God
Amen? AMEN!!!!!!
Our lovely host this week is Debbie over at, Heart Choices so hurry over there and read and share with the gang. It’s fun.
3 comments:
I loved how you wrote: "It means giving our total sincere unreserved heart to Jesus and stop holding back pieces for ourselves."
That says so much and how often I've even done that. Love this post Karen.
"Our passionate, wholehearted love for God needs to be just that, a fervent enthusiastic affection for God."
Amen. I pray that my love for God is indeed a fervent enthusiastic affection for Him. Thank you for sharing today. Blessings to you.
Denise Hughes :)
Why do we settle for mediocre? This is a great post. Love the anagram!
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