If You Love Me

The other night, I pulled the “covenant card” on my grandchildren, and it worked well. I had been serving them the last few days without expecting much in return, but when they were highly wound up at bedtime, I asked them if they understood the term covenant. The oldest one said, “Yes” and added, “it’s about a relationship between God and people.”

Very good! He’s only ten. I added, “In God’s covenants, He promises to do certain things for His people, but He also expects certain behavior from them in return.”

I proceeded to ask my grandchildren if they would like to do something for me? Something that would make me feel so loved? They replied, “Yes.” I said, “It would make me happy and I would feel so loved by you if you would settle down quickly and go to sleep. We have church in the morning, and I want us all to be rested and refreshed when we wake up.” Well, they didn’t wind down immediately, but they did wind down faster than on previous nights.

Later, I thought about how I expected full-service from my parents when I was a child, but when asked to do chores or obey rules, I often groaned or complained, and in some cases needed to be disciplined before I would cooperate. I had to say, “Lord, please forgive my iniquities. My unequal relationship with You and my parents, in which I expected much, but only gave back begrudgingly in return.”

God is a God of covenantal relationships. He gives us guidelines on how to maintain a healthy and happy relationship with Him and with one another. His guidelines can be summed in two themes which are to love Him and love people. Don’t kill and hate one another! Get along! To do otherwise is to take benefits from others and to only give heartaches in return.

Now, in a parent to child relationship, things are not always fair. Parents tend to give more to their children than they get back in return, but they do so out of love, and out of the realization that without giving them grace and good guidance, they will not be sufficiently provided and protected. A parent must forgive and love in a similar fashion to the way God loves, forgives, and serves people daily without receiving much in return for His investment.

Jesus said to His disciples, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” [1] God’s commandments are based on mutual love and respect for one another.

What’s more, God has poured out His Holy Spirit into us who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit reminds us of God and God’s ways. He fills us with love for people which helps us to be patient and forgiving to others, and to ourselves.

Praise God that He took the time and the effort via the Bible to teach us how we ought to live and worship. Praise God that He gave us His Son as our Savior to save us from the penalty our sins deserve. Praise God for His gracious Holy Spirit to work in us and through us to help us be more like our Heavenly Father.

[1] John 15:10