Know (1 John 2:3)

And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 1 John 2:3

God has given me this verse seven times or more in the last couple weeks. I don’t know why I always assume He is trying to smack me with a big stick, but I do tend to assume that. Honestly, I only sat down to meditate on this because I knew if I didn’t He’d probably never give me another verse until I had! LOL!

So as I sat down to chew on it, suddenly I realized this verse wasn’t about a big stick, it’s an assurance. In other words, we are ABLE to “know that we know.” That’s kinda cool actually 🙂 I would like to have that assurance that I “know” Him.

So although I know them well, I went back to revisit what Jesus said were the two greatest commandments. They’re in Matthew 22:37-40:

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Taking these one at a time. Do I love God with all my heart, soul and mind? Again immediately I think “uh oh” – can I really say I do? But right away He brings to mind my husband. I love my husband. Completely and faithfully. Yet am I perfect? Heavens no! But that doesn’t mean I don’t love him completely, it just means I am imperfect.  Remember we are perfecting holiness (2 Corinthians 7:1), that means we’re not completely righteous, just working on being more so and more so.

So what I’m understanding the Lord to be saying to me is that in the midst of my imperfections do I love Him as best as I am able at any moment? As I think more of what this would look like, I think loving God with all my heart would look like, I referenced the Greek word for heart (kardia) which gives greater depth here to indicate thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavours.

So what might this look like? Perhaps praise and worship overflowing from a heart of gratitude. A joy deep in my heart knowing the Creator of heaven and earth is my Beloved and He adores me. A passion that exudes from me for this God that first loved me… the list goes on and I know I may not get all that completely, but I believe that I get it as best I can in my current state!

So what does it look like to love God with my soul? Again, referring to the Greek, the word is another familiar sounding one: psyche. This one indicating my feelings, desires, affections, aversions – which I will sum up as my will.  I imagine this looks like submitting my will to His.  Laying down the dreams and plans I may have had and saying, “Lord, what are the plans You have for me?”

I believe loving Him with my soul also includes being willing to receive His chastening when He brings it.  Correction can sometimes feel painful, but God always does it from love.  Proverbs 3:11-12 AMP says:

11 My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof,

12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

When the Lord brings me correction – I can rest assured He loves me!

Finally, what does it look like to love God with my mind? Once again, referring to the Greek, the word is dianoia. This one indicating the mind as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring – which I will sum up as my logic.  This is one of the ones that I find so hard sometimes because let’s face it – His ways our not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts! (Isaiah 55:8-9)

I believe loving Him with my mind means being willing to lay down what appears to be “logical” to me and choosing to be obedient to Him even if it contradicts what I think makes sense.  I’m not saying go live against your logic – because sometimes He uses that to direct you!  I’m just saying being WILLING to lay it down to be obedient if He says so.

Now comes the second question, do love my neighbor as myself? First off let’s just clarify that “neighbor” means anybody.  It means the guys that cut you off in traffic and proceeded to tell you off.  It means the grumpy checker in the store.  The drug-addicted homeless person you passed in your car the other day.  All of them. Even your spouse or child who said something thoughtless to you today… them too.

The word love in the Greek here is agapao, meaning “to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly.”  Selah! That’s a tall order.  Honestly for me this one is harder than loving God.  I may not always understand Him, but I know He is perfect and holy and loves me and His intentions towards me are good, but people?  Wow.  They can be mean and hurtful and rude and manipulative… yet He calls us to love them.  No wonder He calls us to love Him first – we will need to have His love to be ABLE to love some of our neighbors!

But if we’re honest, aren’t we sometimes the unlovable one?  And in those moments, when the other person responds to us in love rather than in the harsh reaction we may deserve… hasn’t one of those moments helped you to grow in love because someone treated you in mercy rather than judgment?

Lord, I want to know that I know You.  I want to keep Your commandments, but I need Your help to do that!  I know You already know that, but I’m saying it for the record.  I need You. If I am to love like this I need Your heart – help me to have it – help me to see people through Your eyes rather than just responding in my flesh. God, help me to have an unoffendable heart.  A heart so filled with Your love that I am able to truly pour it out to others that they might be able to see a glimpse of Your heart for them through my actions towards them.

God help me to grow in love toward You. I do love You with all my heart and soul and mind as best I am able to – help me to grow in it!  Lord, I thank You that You have provided a measuring stick.  A way for me to know if I know You.  Now that I know the standard – help me to walk that out… perfecting Your love in my heart. I want to be more like You. I love You, Lord.