What do you love?

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:21 NIV)

I love riding motorcycles, especially with my wife. I love traveling and exploring Gods creation. I love technology and all the cool things we can do with it. I love teaching and working with kids. I love spending time in ministry with my CMA family. I love summer time and the warm weather. I love taking care of my yard, growing flowers, and watching them bloom. I love a great sunset. I love camping and sitting around a campfire. What is it that you love? I know I use this word love in a rather flippant way. People say "I love your outfit, your hair, your car, your house, your, blah, blah, blah!" I am one of those people. 

It's not evil to love the "things" of life. But, when I get to what I really Love -- God, my family, my brothers and sisters in Christ, there is a big difference. In some ways I wish there was another word for these two types of love because there is a huge difference between the love I feel for my motorcycle and the love I feel for God. But, there's not so it's up to me to make sure I live my life in a way people know what is REALLY important to me. I need to put people in front of "things" in my life. Love is about relationships. I don't think the Bible ever mentions love in terms of anything except relationships. This is love, that God sent his Son to Earth to die for us. That's not the "love of things" kind of love. That's real Love!

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7 NIV)

Slow process

But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! (Jude 1:20, 21 MSG)

The savior is coming! Soon we will receive our gift of eternal life. But, not today! While we wait, we prepare. We study the word of our Lord, we pray for wisdom, and we serve the lost and the needy. We carefully do these things so as not to grow in our own confidence, but in the confidence in our Lord. Our faith needs to grow in a way as to prepare us for the worship and the glory we are to be a part of.

I wish I could say I was always in the center of God's love and his will for my life. I can not. I need help doing that. I need my family, my Chrisitian friends, constant study of God's word and daily communication with Him. I am working at building up my faith and following Gods will. When I am not faithful in my study and prayer, I faulted and move away from the center. It's a slow process. I praise God for his patience with me. Thank you Lord!