Having love for God is one of the most important parts of being a faithful Christian. Loving God is the basis for all aspects of Christian living. It is what helps us obey Him, regardless of how difficult His commandments may be. However, many today face the issue of lacking this love for God. It is overshadowed by responsibilities in life, as well as our personal interests and hobbies. This is because many do not realise the danger of losing love for God. Many brethren are unaware that they no longer give God the importance in their lives that He should have, not realising they could become more susceptible to committing sin, or even leaving Christianity completely. Therefore, I would like to share some ways to rekindle our love for God. These are easy to apply in our daily lives.
Most preachers choose to address this matter in a very similar manner. The main ideas commonly mentioned are spending more time meditating on God’s Word, praying, seeking encouragement from brethren, and spending more time with faithful brethren. Yet, even taking these steps to restore our love for God can be challenging if we lack it in the first place. Earlier, I mentioned how our interests and responsibilities tend to draw us away from God. However, apart from simply cutting down on these things, we can also use them to our advantage. For example, if we find ourselves overly absorbed in our work, we can use that zeal in the Church by taking up roles in areas such as evangelism. As mentioned in 1 Peter 4:10, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” If we tend to rack up screen time uncontrollably, we should use some of it to not only read the Bible, but also to seek insight from online sources in the form of commentaries and recorded sermons (from credible brotherhood sources, of course, otherwise it will just get worse). If we are extremely sociable and spend too much time interacting with non-Christian friends, we can use that time to evangelise and maybe even conduct Bible studies with our friends. For every activity that we can squander out precious time on earth doing, there is always an alternative that can benefit the Church and the Lord’s work.
All of the above is not to say that reading and meditating on God’s Word is not important; it certainly is. However, we also have to use the time spent studying the Bible wisely. If we only read it and apply what we think it means, there are only 770,340 words to read and one viewpoint to consider. Whereas if we choose to read commentaries and watch Bible-related videos, we can grow our knowledge further than by simply reading the words. It is just as important for us to listen to teachers as it is for them to teach. Some teachers have devoted their lives to uncovering the true meaning behind the words in the Bible by analysing historical context, deeply studying the languages the Bible was written in, and even travelling across the world to visit the places mentioned in the Bible. Most of us are incapable of performing such feats, but we can learn a great deal from what these devoted teachers have to share regarding God’s Word, and be inspired by their motivation to present the whole truth to the world.
In summary, the ways to rekindle and maintain love for God are to incorporate faith-building or evangelistic activities into our daily routines and to have a more dynamic approach to studying the Bible. This means not just reading and making inferences, but also seeking counsel from other faithful brethren, whether they are from local congregations or from abroad. Finally, we should always remember to love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Ask Yourself:
What are some daily activities that we can incorporate God’s work into?
Why do some brethren lose their love for God?
In what ways has God shown us love?
Suggested Answers:
Talking to people online – motivate brethren and spread the Gospel; watching videos – watch Bible-related videos; self-reflection – reflect on one’s Christian life and God’s standard for Christians; travelling overseas – visit overseas brethren, preach in congregations in other countries, visit significant places in the Bible
Either a lack of Bible study or a “flat” approach to Bible study; refusing to accept advice from other brethren; not spending enough time with brethren; neglecting all that God has done for us; focusing too much on secular life
God provides for us every day; without Him we cannot have food, money, homes, or even life; every good thing comes from God (James 1:17), salvation – a way to Heaven (John 3:16), forgiveness of sins.