Practical Obedience

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
John 14:15-21

Just before you leave the house for an overnight trip, your son hugs you and say, “I love you, Dad. Have a good trip.”
“I love you too, son. Don’t forget to clean out the garage like I told you, okay?”
“You bet, Dad.”

The next evening you arrive at the door. Your son greets you.
“We missed you, Dad. We love you so much.”
“I missed you too, son. It’s good to see you. Did you get the garage clean as I told you?”
The boy lowers his head. “No, sir.”

Loving God, while definitely a matter of the heart, is gauged ultimately by our obedience to Him. Words of praise and adoration are pleasing to the Father. But the practical test of our love for our Heavenly Father comes in whether or not we do what He asks.

Has God asked you to correct an area of disobedience in your life? Are you participating in an activity that he forbids in His Word? Are you living out the truths of the Scriptures by allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to express His life through you - by loving unconditionally, giving generously, serving others, providing Godly direction for you children? Loving God is emotional, but without practical obedience it is incomplete.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
John 14:15