I love you I’m just not in love with you.
It is a cliche but it is possible. You can love someone in your life, but if you are not in love with them, then you are most likely not pursuing a relationship with them. You are complacent with where things are and maybe even drifting apart. Although we in the English language use the word “love” to describe our affinity for our favorite morning bagel, rock band, and spouse, there are all kinds of love and if you are in it, you are pursuing more and more time with that thing/person. In every single scenario, being in love takes intentionality.
When you say you love Jesus, are you in love with him? I mean it’s easy to love Jesus. He performed many more miracles than were recorded in the Bible, he crumbled social norms and spoke with and was seen hanging out with the riffraff of his day. He called up the everyday man to follow him. He was kind and accepting to the masses. He deviated from the religious stiffs who made it nearly impossible to reach holiness. What’s not to love about Jesus? When people say they love Jesus but don’t live a life indicative of encounters with him, it almost seems they just love what he did. They are consumers of the good he produced, even takers of the gift he offers.
This can be okay in the beginning, if you are new to the journey of a relationship with Christ and you feel like this is you, its a good place to start. The gift is free. Expecting anything beyond belief in the gift would violate the nature of God. However, for your benefit, don’t stay there. Pursue a personal involvement with Jesus daily.
Think of it this way. If you just met someone and went on a date, you had a great time and want to go out again, but you don’t call them or answer their calls or think about them often–this relationship is not going to go anywhere. The more you think about them and carve out time for them and respond to their requests to spend time with you, the more the relationship is going to grow. The only way to go in to a love phase from infatuation and attraction (moving from just feelings to a real truth) is to pursue the relationship. This is the very act of being in love with Jesus. Being in love takes over a piece of your mind and a bigger piece of your heart. You think about him a great part of the day. You spend time in the Word just to feel closer to him. Its like staring at a picture of your loved one when you are separated. Staring at the picture helps you feel closer. Reading the Word will draw you closer to Jesus.
The awesome difference with Jesus is that you are safe to go with an open heart and passionately pursue love without holding back! He is the perfect gentlemen and will out love you at every turn. You can risk EVERYTHING on this relationship! So be obsessed, love with wild abandon, and expect to be ravished by the One who adores you more than you can fathom!!