Love Relationship with the Lord

What’s the Temperature of Your Love Relationship with the Lord?

Posted on by Michele Morin

Do you ever stop and think about the why behind all that you do? Especially if you are involved in ministry, what motivates you to keep on working?
Is it duty?
Pressure from others?
Habit?
A desire to look good, to be thought well of?

Or do you serve God from a heart of love?
What motivates your obedience and your service?

The writer of Hebrews assures his readers that God pays attention to our love for him and our love for others—and certainly, there is a connection there:

 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.”

Hebrews 6:10

Whether you’re teaching, planning events, cleaning the church, or filling your days with service to your family, your love for what you do and for the people you are serving is an overflow of your love for God. In protecting and preserving that vertical relationship, there’s no substitute for time spent in his presence, soaking in the truth of his Word.

Your love for what you do and the people you serve is an overflow of your love for God. In protecting and preserving that vertical relationship, there’s no substitute for time spent in his presence, soaking in the truth of his Word.

The author and hymn-writer Elizabeth Prentiss beautifully captured the importance of love for Christ in the life of a believer. For our prayer life, our enjoyment of fellowship with our Savior, and even our departure from this earth, the love of Christ is central. It is what carries and sustains us.

Here are the lyrics:

1—More love to Thee, O Christ,
More love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make
On bended knee;
This is my earnest plea:
More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

2—Once earthly joy I craved,
Sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek,
Give what is best;
This all my prayer shall be:
More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

3—Then shall my latest breath
Whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry
My heart shall raise;
This still its prayer shall be:
More love, O Christ, to Thee,
More love to Thee,
More love to Thee!

How’s your love relationship with the Lord?
If you’ve wandered away, be honest with yourself and with God. Take your spiritual temperature by paying attention to the way you are using your time, by noticing what’s crept into that number one spot in your heart. Ask God to topple all your idols and trust him to be the force that motivates your obedience and your service for him.

Holding You in the Light,

For more about the life and work of Elizabeth Prentiss, CLICK HERE. She was a fellow Mainer, and her book, Stepping Heavenward, is ageless and relevant to wives and mothers set in all times (and might just encourage their men-folk, too).

“More love to Thee, O Christ, More love to Thee! Hear Thou the prayer I make On bended knee; This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee, More love to Thee.” [Elizabeth Prentiss] #hymns

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

21 thoughts on “What’s the Temperature of Your Love Relationship with the Lord?”

  1. Oh, boy…this one really hit me. I looked in the mirror and I don’t like what I see. I have rationalized why I “need” to do the things I put all my focus on, (right now, catching up on the mowing between storms), and I have been ignoring God completely. Oh, I say a little prayer before I close my eyes, you know, just to keep in good standing, but I basically ignore God in all my chores of the day.
    I certainly am not doing anything in love and service to God. I am drudging through my days just trying to get the next “thing” done. My gosh, what have I done to myself? Life is not meant to be so and I have forgotten how a close relationship with God brings joy.
    Thanks, Michele, for listening to God and writing this post. I need to go and read my bible…right now!…before I start my day. And then I am going to work on doing “everything in love”.
    Best wishes~

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    1. It sounds as if you are on the right track, Darlene. Let me know how I can be praying for you as you reset your priorities. It’s not easy to create new habits, but it’s our habits that form us because we fall back on them when we’re weak. Thanks for reading with an open heart!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. It’s funny that your post went out today-my Pastor preached on this this morning. Basically if we do not love, we have nothing. I had never quite heard it preached the way he did this morning, but we are to show love in everything. Very convicting.

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  3. I have to admit that, even when my motives start out right, they can fluctuate between all those variations you mentioned. That’s one thing soaking in His Word and presence does–recalibrates those motives, bringing me back to love for Him and others.

    I *love* Elizabeth Prentiss’ Stepping Heavenward. I’ve read it a couple of times but need to again. I don’t know if you’re familiar with BBN Radio (on local stations and online), but they have someone reading through Christian Classics every day around lunchtime, so I sometimes catch portions while preparing lunch. Stepping Heavenward was one they featured.

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    1. I’m reading the OT prophets right now, and it sure seems as if God did not give them much encouragement as we define “encouragement” today in terms of results or a following. Clearly, they were serving out of obedience and love. Great point!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I have begun to read Jeremiah. I find it interesting that he was chosen to carry God’s message to a world of people who chose not to listen. Hmm! This sounds like what we see going on today. I pray for a lot of people because I know God loves them and I do too.

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    1. And so we persevere! Jeremiah is one of the clearest scriptural examples of a God-follower who was given a clearly impossible task, but carried on by grace. No wonder he’s known as the “weeping prophet!”

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Michele, in the busyness of these past few years, I’ve found myself distracted. Now that the youngest is beginning his college life, I’m taking time to evaluate how to draw closer to the Lord. Working through emotions and questions and a few regrets. I’m thankful God is bigger than all of this, that He loves me, and that He is faithful to answer my prayer, “Help me to love you more, Lord!”

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  9. You are so good at getting the reader (Me) to think deeply. I would like to think my love relationship with God is great. I know that is not always the truth though. I know that unless I keep my relationship with God strong and steady, I am losing out on the love I have to give others. Thank you for this wonderful post!

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  11. […] What’s the Temperature of Your Love Relationship with the Lord? “Whether you’re teaching, planning events, cleaning the church, or filling your days with service to your family, your love for what you do and for the people you are serving is an overflow of your love for God. In protecting and preserving that vertical relationship, there’s no substitute for time spent in his presence, soaking in the truth of his Word.” […]

    Like

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