For a lot of people, when they say, “I love God,” it’s primarily an emotional thing. It’s a feeling of “I feel close to God,” or “I feel God’s love in my life.”
But love for God is not just some ishy-squishy feeling we have for God. Rather, John tells us this:
For this is what love for God is: to keep his commands. (1 John 5:3)
Do you truly love God? If you do, you show it by keeping his commands.
“But that sounds so legalistic,” you might say.
It only sounds that way if you think that God’s commands are a burden. If you think that God is trying to steal all your joy in life. If you think that God is standing with a bat ready to bash you when you fail.
But John says,
And his commands are not a burden, because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. (3b-4)
No, God’s commands are not a burden. Why not?
Because of our faith. We trust God. We trust that God loves us. We trust that God desires our best. And we know that even when we fail, God doesn’t bash us. Rather, he picks us up in love, and keeps walking with us.
We don’t have to try to keep his commands in our own strength. Instead, each day, he leads and guides us in his love.
More than that, we know the victory has already been won.
Jesus paid the price for our sin on the cross. And one day he will return and make all things we new. He will make us new, and we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
That’s our hope. That’s why we love him. And that’s why his commands are not a burden. At least, they shouldn’t be.
How about you? Are God’s commands burdensome to you? Or a joy?
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 