Have you ever felt this way? I find myself crying out to God that I want to love Him more. And despite spending time in His word, talking with Him throughout the day, worshiping Him through thought, song, and deed, and trying {and often failing} to obey Him, I find it's not enough. I'm just so inadequate in my ability to love Him... more.
What I find is:
The more I read His word, understand and absorb into my soul how much He loves me, the more I'm compelled to love Him. But I find myself still wanting to love Him more.
The more I talk with Him throughout the day... When I'm working, cleaning, pulling weeds, washing clothes, making dinner, the more I'm compelled to love Him. But I hear that whisper in my soul: more love.
The more I pray for others and myself and ask for and receive His mercy and forgiveness, the more I'm compelled to love Him. And yet again, I hear: more love to Me.
And then I read Romans 5:5 and I begin to understand. Of course I feel inadequate in my ability to love the Lord enough. Because my own ability to love Him will always be inadequate.
What I realize is that I'm very limited in my ability to love. Yes, I love my husband, children, granddaughter {I'll be glad to show you pictures!} family and friends with an intense, profound love. But God? My Abba Father, Christ Jesus, and Holy Spirit?
The love I need for my God is so much... more. It's the kind of love that only the Holy Spirit can pump my heart full of. Glory to our God! He is more than able; He is so willing to fill my inadequate heart with His all-I-could-ever-need-ask-for-or-imagine love!
And so today, I ask the Holy Spirit to flood our hearts to-overflowing with His love. A love that only He can give. A love that you and I can't 'work on', conjure up, manufacture or practice. A lavish love that is beyond natural and will enable us to love Him... more and more and more!!
How about you?
Are you fine where you are?
Do you want to love Him more? or
Do you want to want to love Him more?
I'd love to hear from you!
Leave a comment!
Living in His grace,
Mary
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Each woman who stops by(I'm talking about you!) is so precious to our Lord and to me.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments, emails, and FB messages.
It's always so good to hear from you!
I'm not fine where I am and I'm constantly struggling with it and I definitely want to LOVE him more and there's a lot of room for expansion. I've been trying to give up things that are unimportant in exchange for more time with devotion, prayer, and studying, and so far it helped. # 1 thing I have given up is Facebook. I spend too much time worrying about what other people are doing rather than my relationship with God. - Work in progress. Loved this post!
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy! You nailed it! We're all works in progress. I love your heart to want more of Him. I'm so thankful that He's given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love. His love will always be enough!
DeleteBlessings to you ~ Mary
Dear Mary
ReplyDeleteThis incredible yearning in your heart to love Him more, is His way of drawing you deeper into His love,I guess! Psalm 68:18, if I recall correctly, says, "My heart follows hard after thee, your right hand upholds me". I have come to the conclusion that any right thought or feeling towards our Pappa is just our following after His prevenient grace.
Blessings
Mia
Yes Mia, I love this verse. We used to sing it many years ago in church. Our hearts follow hard after Him because He pours His love into us, which makes us want Him even more!
DeleteI always appreciate your visits!
Blessings and love ~ Mary
Mary, I was praying/thinking a similar sort of "Jesus, I want to be closer to you", also. Thank you for the reminder in Romans that He has given us His Holy Spirit--to make us want Him more. The desire is from Him and He alone can fill it. Thank you Father, giver of all good gifts!
ReplyDeleteJody, I love that God's word provides the answers to our deepest longings. To know that the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with His love which enables us to love Him in the most intimate way, is so awesome!
DeleteThank you for coming by!
Blessings to you, my friend ~ Mary
It is all about becoming more like Jesus, to be so close that when others see us, they see Him. We will never fully reach that until we enter Heaven, and the perfection of His glory, but we must strive, removing the dross, anything that does not please Him. So often, our pattern for our lives is seen in another pattern or vessel. Our eyes should be on the Potter, asking Him to make us and use us for His purpose. Submission. And God does use willingness for His glory. Mary, I believe our relationship with the Lord can not be only an hour in the morning, but constant communion and communication throughout the day. Thank you so much for reigning our hearts in from the struggles of life to focus on Truth! PS~ I added your beautiful blog to my sidebar at Composed By Grace. Much love,
ReplyDeleteGrace
Grace, thank you for your wonderful, encouraging, words of truth! I'm so thankful that the Holy Spirit fills us with His love so that we can enter into rich, love-filled communion with Him.
DeleteI'm glad you came by. I so appreciate your comments. And thank you for adding me to your sidebar!!
Blessings and love to you ~ Mary
Mary - Oh how I can deeply relate to the heart cry, "More love". How I know the depravity of one who feels inadequate to touch the hem of His love...yet, attempt to anyway. How I ache to well up in my emptiness, the full embrace of a God whose love has no emptiness, no holes, no shallow places simply void. Yet, you are right friend...we can't. We can't know that kind of God consuming love, apart from grace, separate from the gift, given to us by His Spirit. I needed that reminder today, friend!
ReplyDeleteJen, the love that He must have for us is unfathomable. To choose not only to love us, but to send the Holy Spirit to fill us with His love... so that we may have the joy of loving Him. How awesome it that?!
DeleteI always appreciate your visits!
Blessings and love, my friend ~ Mary
My words for this year is Less...and more. Less of the world and "things" and more of God. I'm not satisfied with where I am...I want more! Anne Graham Lotz wrote two books I love, "Just Give Me Jesus" and "Pursuing More of Jesus." They have been a blessing in my pursuit of more of Jesus.
ReplyDeletePamela, Yes, my friend! Less of the world, and more of God! I'm glad to be with you on this awesome journey of wanting more Jesus! Thanks for the book suggestions. I'll definitely take a look... I have such respect for A.G.L!
DeleteBlessings to you ~ Mary
Love your post Mary!
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about this, I compare my love with God as when I first fell head over heels in love with Curt - he became my "bestest friend". I couldn't get enough of being with him, wanted to share every single thing with him. Wanted to share every single moment with him. Thought about him constantly, hoped for a chance encounter when not together, always trying to look and be at my best in case we did run into each other. I could not get enough of him. And that head over heels in love with him has only grown, because of the ups and downs, we have traveled through. Just as my head over heels in love with God has grown, who isn't human, who hasn't failed me, who loves me more than I can ever grasp - Can not get enough of Him!
Amen, Deby! First, I love hearing that your love relationship with Curt has continued to grow closer and stronger. And then, I LOVE hearing that your love for God, has and is continuing to grown and GROW! I'm so thankful for the amazing Holy Spirit that fills us with His love which enables us to want Him more and more!
DeleteI'm always so blessed by your visits and comments!
Blessings and love ~ Mary
I think I come from a slightly different perspective in that I don't always want to love Him more...I want to love myself more, and I'm ashamed of that. But I realize my sin and really do desire to have a heart that longs for Him more than it longs for my own personal comfort and gain. But either way, your thoughts are helpful because it is the Spirit who can help me change my wrong desires to the right ones. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh Gail, I think we all struggle with love of self verses love of God. Our constant, daily challenge is to love self less and Him more. Glory to God that the Holy Spirit fills us with His love making our love for Him possible... so thankful for that!
DeleteThanks so much for your honest comment.
Blessings and love ~ Mary
Mary, this is a very special post and I felt the things you wrote about deep within my heart. I want to love the Lord more but I don't feel like I hardly love Him enough at all. I loved the paragraph where you shared how you talked to the Lord throughout the day as you worked and cleaned and did laundry. So do I!! I would love to meet you!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with WholeHearted Home. Your posts you share each week bless me!!
Judith, isn't it wonderful of the Holy Spirit to fill us with His love so that we're able to love Him more?! I really identify with wanting to love Him more and feeling like I'm hardly touching the surface of what that love can look like. I think we should get together over a cup of tea!
DeleteThanks for doing such a great job of hosting WHH!
Blessings and love ~ Mary
Mary,
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm stopping by from Fellowship on Fridays.
I definitely want to love Him more. I try to pray as you do each day as I go about my daily routine. It can be hard sometimes, things in life can be so distracting! Especially nowadays! I really enjoyed visiting your blog. :)
Hi Anna! I love to hear that you talk to the Lord throughout your day. I think life is a distraction for all of us. I'm thankful that the Holy Spirit fills us with His love, which draws our thoughts back to Him.
DeleteI'm so glad you came for a visit! It's good to have you here!
Blessings to you ~ Mary