It appears that believers are being conditioned to love God based on the blessings they receive from Him. In our prayers of thanksgiving, we often list material gains such as marriage, children, careers, and social status as reasons for our gratitude. However, this type of conditional experience of God has led us to focus on material possessions rather than loving God for who He is. While it is important to be grateful for the physical blessings God provides, we should question whether our love and devotion to Him are solely based on His blessings.

It is a common tendency of human nature to love someone or something with a condition(s). Upon reflection of our lives, we can observe that everything we have loved or loved has something to do with a condition associated with the object or person. Even when we claim to love our family with no strings attached, the familial connection is still the reason for the show of love. I do not say this to suggest that it is a negative trait, but to acknowledge that our love always comes with a condition. However, some conditions can make the act of love impure. As believers, I urge us to replace every condition we have for the love of one another and God with Jesus Christ. By allowing Christ to be the fundamental condition that we use to love God and others, our love will remain pure and true. Our love will reflect the love that Apostle Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV

Job’s Love for God

The story of the man named Job stirred my heart to think about our love and devotion to God.

 At this, Job got up tore his robe, and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.[c]The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Job 1:20-21 NIV

After receiving news that he had lost all his earthly possessions, Job demonstrated an unwavering love and devotion to God by worshipping and praising Him. This response showed that Job’s heart was not attached to material possessions, but rather his heart was for God. We can learn from Job’s example and strive to love God for who He is rather than for the blessings He provides. By centering our love for God on Jesus Christ, we can trust in Him as our savior, helper, and deliverer. Through Christ, we can experience true love and devotion towards our Creator.

Christ the Foundation of our Love

When we make Christ the foundation of our love for God and others, we become like Job, unshaken by life’s worst blows. Our love and devotion to God become grounded in Christ, giving us peace, joy, and love that cannot be taken away like earthly possessions. The salvation we have in Christ is the greatest gift and blessing we can ever receive from God, and it is through Him alone that we can experience the true meaning of love and devotion toward our Creator. Reflecting on Job’s example, we can find a deeper love for our loved ones. Instead of basing our love on their good works, loving gestures, or positive aspects, we should draw from the fountain of Christ’s love to love them at all costs. Job, being a righteous man, had a hint of revelation about the Messiah, which kept his heart grounded in God even when he lost everything. Similarly, if we center our love on Christ, we will find peace, joy, and love in God through all circumstances.

Beloved in Christ, let us pray that our hearts will be fully saturated with the love of Jesus Christ so that we can have eternal love and devotion to God. Through His love for us, we can experience the true meaning of love and devotion towards others and our God.

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