Love for the Father

Scripture: 1 John 2: 15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not of him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Reactions: The first part of my meditation dealt with a common theme, rejecting the lure of the worldly. In addition to wanting and loving the temporal, I also take great pride in them, both material possessions such as my home and wardrobe as well as my own my abilities, works and accomplishments. If I take pride in what I am, what I do, or what I own, I am not giving glory to the Father. I am crediting myself instead of crediting the creator of all.

I have been praying for many months to know the will of the Father, and in the second part of my reflection I got a clearer sense of what it is God wants of me. In the past I have felt that what I AM is more important than what I DO; today I felt that it’s also crucial to understand WHY I do what I do and am what I am. Basically, my motivation should be one of pleasing God, not myself. Previous meditations, readings, and conversations reinforce the idea that everything one does can be a form of prayer if it is done for the glory of God. I don’t think I internalized those words until today. I have been offering up what I do to God, but I am still trying to get something out of my actions for myself (pride, sense of accomplishment, sense of righteousness, joy, personal gratification). Instead, I should be doing these things simply because they are pleasing to God, because my efforts will make Him happy and will reflect my love for Him. Thus, even if I don’t always get satisfaction, praise or recognition from my volunteer efforts, hobbies and employment, I will be living out God’s will by seeking to do what is pleasing to Him.

It’s like when I do little things for my husband or children that I wouldn’t necessarily enjoy except for the fact that they appreciate them so much. It makes me happy to make them happy. That’s how I need to start thinking about doing things to make the Lord happy.

Of course, my family can express to me what they like and what they don’t like. How do I know if it makes God happy to see me dance well or cook a nice meal for a friend? I believe that just saying “I hope this brings you great pleasure, Lord” is a good start. I can also think of some actions that would not be pleasing to the Lord, such as when I dress too provocatively or overstate certain aspects of my life (telling little white lies). It should not be too hard for me to tell the difference between what is pleasing to God and what is not. My motivation is the key, though in a sense that can be a bit tricky. For example, I believe it pleases God when I use the talents He gave me for the good of others, but being too boastful or self-important detracts from His pleasure. If I pursue various avenues with the purpose of showing my love for God, pleasing Him, and glorifying Him, then I believe I am doing His will. Any recognition or satisfaction I get for myself is secondary.