The ugly, painful hardship of human experience does not contradict or call into question the love of God. Rather, that is where we learn God’s love the best. The way to God is not over, under, or around our difficulties — it is through them.
Anything that stirs up our self-sufficiency is something that will hinder our wisdom, while those things that humble us and remind us of our dependence on God are those that increase our wisdom. Whatever increases pride, contributes to foolishness.
Our emotions need to be managed wisely. Faithful discipleship often comes down to good stewardship of such things as our feelings. Discipline does not mean denying our emotions. It means training them — to help us live for God’s glory!
Our obedience must be grounded in our love for God. Our love must be determined by our knowledge of God. And our knowledge of Him must come from His own self-revelation in the Scriptures. Each of these reinforces the other to help us grow.
When we’re making decisions, we must do more than simply consider God’s viewpoint as helpful input. In every case, God’s way of looking at things ought to be decisive. A unique, concentrated desire for God’s glory ought to move our every action.
Out of all the things we do, praying is surely one of the most significant. In prayer we are actually speaking to our Creator. And the manner in which we pray, perhaps more than anything else, indicates how diligent we are in our love for God.
Love and desire for God should stir so deeply within us that we seek Him at all costs. If God is indeed our Creator, no less than this is required. It would be the greatest folly imaginable to treat God as merely one of our peripheral interests.
Knowing God has never trifled with us ought to make us determine, out of sheer gratitude, to take Him seriously. Knowing what our atonement cost Him, how can we simply dabble in religion? Trifling with God is the most horrible form of ingratitude.
If God’s chosen means of influence is compassionate love, we should be slow to use any “stronger” or “more effective” means. And if we truly hope to see others influenced by compassion, we must be ready to do the same difficult things that God did.
None of the unique endowments of men and women are insignificant. Each has its counterpart in God’s character and needs to be taken seriously in our own character and in our own interactions. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the matter of love.
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