Love and Obedience

The other day I heard someone ask "What is love?" That is an important question and there are probably a lot of ways to answer it. But I like the answer and insight I get from 1 John 5:3. John declares, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." I think we can learn alot about love from this verse. Consider the following:
1. Love and keeping commandments are tied together. This is exactly what Jesus said in the book of John. He said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments." True love does this....it considers the desires of the other and seeks to fulfill those desires. That's what commandments are. They are the desires - yes even the good desires of our God for His creatures. Since this is true, to love God is to consider those desires and to seek with all our hearts to fulfill them. That's how love moves us to obedience.
2. When love fuels obedience, obedience is not a burden. Anyone who has had a time of courtship with a lover knows the truth of this. When you are in love you often consider the desires of the other person. Would she like roses? Would this action please her? What does she want to do this weekend? What would make her life easier? And when we discern those desires it is not a burden to fulfill them. In fact, it is our delight. Love makes the fulfilling of the desires of another easy. I think mothers understand this well when they give birth to a child. The love for this new life propels them to understand what the child desires and to gladly fulfill it. Though it may lead to exhaustion, love lightens the load.
The same must be true in our relationship with our Lord. When we love the Lord, we will continually be considering His desires. What will please the Lord? How does He want me to use my time, talent and treasure? What does He want me to do in this situation? And when we uncover that desire, it will be our delight to fulfill it. It will not be a burden at all!
Have you known this in your relationship with God? Has your love spurred you on to know what God desires of you and to pursue it with delight? If your answer is no, or if you have found it to be more of a burden, then you might want to check your heart.
At the end of the chapter John says, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." Those idols are our desires that take the throne of our hearts and exercise their rule. When those desires -those little idols are reigning we will find our hearts cold and we will find it more of a labor to obey our Lord. When you feel that way, take a look within - at your heart. Earthly desires may have slowly pushed out your desire for the Lord. That's a good time to repent and to let the love of the Lord flood our hearts once again!
Child of God - love the Lord and find your heart's greatest delight in fulfilling the desires of the One who gave you life, both now and into eternity!