How would it feel if you forced or begged someone to love you?
Or – on the other side: how would it feel if you forced or begged to love someone?
If you were in a forced relationship (of any kind), what would that be like, knowing that you are not truly loved – but must oblige to whatever we are being asked to do. Not from love and adoration – but forced to do so.
Whew… I think God in His infinite wisdom knew this. We have been given freewill to choose to love our Savior. We are clear that He loves us. The evidence is found in Romans 5:8 NIV: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is His demonstration of His love for us – but, we have been given free will.
There is a story I read about purchasing a robo dog that does everything perfectly well. As “perfect” as a robo dog would be for certain things – it does not have the ability to love. I spent some time with one of Amelia’s friends yesterday evening, and they have a dog. I’ve known them before they had the dog and visited when she was a few weeks old, and due to the pandemic, I had not been in their home for a long time. But yesterday, as I sat and observed the mom and the dog, Lola – Lola sat quietly in her lap, content to be snuggled and rubbed. If the mom got up, Lola was running behind her, and only settling back down when she sat back down again. If the mom was around, Lola wanted to be next to her, or in her lap, as content as she could be.
Imagine if this story is about a dog and her owner. Imagine how much greater our love for our Father should be – but guess what? It is not forced, nor will it be forced. It is a choice we get to make. Every single day, when we wake up, we get to choose whether we will show love and obedience to our Heavenly Father.
Going back to Lola, when Amelia, my daughter, tried to pick her up, Lola snarled at her – even baring teeth. She had no interest in being picked up by someone she did not have a relationship with. Amelia had only been a visitor and had not visited in well over a year – no relationship.
I am so grateful that God gives us free choice as to whether we love Him and show our love to Him. It makes me appreciate it more. I am not under duress – my actions will show whether my love is real or not.
Galatians 5:13-14 summarized says “We were called to be free, but don’t use your freedom to indulge in worldly things – instead – serve each other with love – when we do this, we are fulfilling the greatest law we have been given. And I will pause with this that I heard on the radio “Love your neighbor as yourself”.. That means, we ought to have a healthy love for ourselves – how can we love anyone else if we are not loving ourselves well in the first place?
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the love that you have so freely bestowed on us. Help us to love you and others well in return.
