If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments
Seele Faith Editor, KB Chakela dives into what loving God looks like
Around the month of March, I found myself mediating on Matthew 22:37, which says: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” NIV. This particular verse stayed with me for weeks, I kept having a conversation with the Holy Spirit about this Bible verse, asking, “What does loving God look like in my day-to-day life? How do I practically reflect that love?”
I kept hearing that song by Musiq Soulchild (if you are a nineties baby you know Musiq Soulchild), that says “teach me how to love”, and so I began to pray those words: “Holy Spirit, teach me how to love the Lord.” It was a simple prayer, but I came from a place of wanting to understand how I can love the Lord. The answer, even though it did not come in the form of a Scripture or verse. I, had a deep knowing in my spirit that:
A life lived for Christ is one way to love Him. So, I started to be more intentional, I read the Word more, I looked for ways to show love to others, and I focused on being more present and inviting God into my every day. I wanted my life to speak of my love for Him – not just my words. Then, just this past week, as I was reading the book of John, I stumbled upon a verse that answered the question.
In John 14, Jesus repeats this, three times “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” There it was, the blueprint, Jesus was not vague or philosophical – He was practical. If we love Him, we keep His commandments. Reading that was like finding the missing piece to a puzzle, it’s not just about the emotion of love or confessing love, it’s about obedience.
Loving God looks like obedience, obeying his word, and choosing to follow it. And suddenly, I had an answer for Matthew 22:37. To love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind means we walk in obedience – not out of religious duty, but because our love for Him compels us. I know I shared on the subject of love many times before, but I think it’s one of those themes we can never exhaust. Why? Because love is the foundation of our relationship with God.
And so here it is again, plain and simple:
The blueprint to loving the Lord – Keep His commandments. This same message was at the heart of this month’s newsletter, where I shared the importance of Keeping God’s commandments. And here again, the word confirms it, our obedience is not just about rule following; it’s a reflection of our love for Him. When we walk in His word, we reveal what’s in our hearts.
So, my final encouragement is this: Let’s become purposeful about walking with the Lord. Not because we want to check off spiritual boxes, but because we love the Lord. Let our actions echo our love, because in the end, keeping God’s commandments reflects your heart posture.
