'Jesus, Help Me Love You More!'

In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, Dawn reflects on our love for God—why do we lack in love, what does our Savior think about our love, and what can we do to grow our love?

Have you ever read a story in the Bible, and the Holy Spirit took you down a different path than you ever would have expected—a "rabbit trail" that led to a deeply personal lesson?

That happened to me.

It was while reading the story of Jesus healing a boy who was possessed by an impure spirit (Mark 9:14-29). The boy's desperate father brought the boy to Jesus, saying, "if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

Jesus noted the "if," and then said, "Everything is possible for one who believes."

The father immediately exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

That was quite an admission. The father recognized that he DID have some faith—otherwise he never would have brought his son to Jesus.

But he also had doubts. He needed help from Jesus to go further into faith.

As I read this conversation, I felt a twinge of conviction. But it wasn't about faith. The Holy Spirit zeroed in on the depth of my love for Jesus—or rather, how weak it was.

I cried out to Jesus,  

"Dear Jesus, I do love you. But help my lack of love . . . help me love you more!"

I believed that He would help me with my weak love, just like he helped that desperate father with his weak belief.

Over time, I considered some of the things that hindered that love, and things I could do or change to refresh and grow my love for Jesus.

Four Ways to Grow Your Love for Jesus

1. Remember the Love Jesus Expressed on the Cross.

Jesus said,

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13 NIV).

Jesus loved us so much that He went to the cross to die for our sins and—when we trust in that sacrifice—secure eternity for us in Heaven.  

The Lord's love for us is mysterious and extraordinary, and our love for Him should reflect that.

The Savior chose to love us while we were wretched sinners (Romans 5:8), so unlike Himself, so that He could make us more like Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5; Romans 8:29).

When we begin to take that for granted, we become ungrateful for His grace and mercy, and our love for Him cools.

When we remember the cross, it should motivate our love for our Savior.

2. Believe that When Jesus Died, It Was for You, Personally.

It's one thing to believe that Jesus died for the world, but we may forget that, by application, He died for us as individuals—as if we were the only one needing salvation.

The childhood song says it well: "Jesus loves ME, this I know. . . . " The message of the gospel is a love letter to us. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

3. Pray for a Deeper Manifestation of His Love.

Jesus cannot love us any more—He demonstrated His love in dying for us (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9-10).

But that does not mean that His love cannot be more deeply manifest to us—made more evident or certain, or displayed to make clear or more easily recognized.

We keep the Lord's commands because we love Him; and Jesus said when we keep His commands, He will love us and "show" Himself to us (John 14:21).

Also, His love is made "complete in us" when we love one another (1 John 4:12).

4. Allow Christ's Love to Stir Up Your Own Love.

Just as we warm ourselves by a fire, we can kindle love for Jesus as we sit by the "fire" of His love.

Once that love is kindled, we can encourage it to burn hot through a number of actions.

We can:

• Read and meditate on Jesus and the "law of the Lord" (Psalm 1:2; Hebrews 12:2a).
• Speak about the Lord and help others see Him more clearly—"bring them" to Jesus.
• Be careful not to displease of offend Him—how can we say we love Him when we cherish the sins for which He died, when we place people and things ahead of Him?
• Stand against the Lord's enemies—Matt. 5:43-44 tells us to love our enemies; but realize that we must never compromise with the stated enemies of Christ (cp. Psalm 139:19-21).
• Hate sin (Proverbs 8:13)—and love, respect, and obey God's commands.
• Abide in, live in, Jesus—remembering that Jesus abides with us as we abide in Him (1 John 2:28 ESV; 1 John 3:24; 4:13).
• Pray continually—keep the connection with Jesus "live" and active (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
• Praise and worship Him, remembering that God "inhabits" the praises of His people—He loves to dwell there (Psalm 22:3 KJV).
• Be ready to forsake or lose any lesser things, if need be . . . for Him (Matthew 10:37; Luke 16:13; John 15:19).

So, yes, we trust that Jesus will help us in response to our prayer for deeper love for Him, but there are also many things we can do to improve it ourselves.

Every one of God's children should be growing in love for Him and for His Son, Jesus. If we're not, we need to seriously consider what is standing in the way.

Do you need to pray what I did—"Lord, I love You . . . help me love You more"? Do you see any hindrances to God not answering that prayer?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Radu Florin at Unsplash.

On Tapestries and Pots

In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, Dawn says Christ-followers may not understand the mysterious workings of their sovereign God, but they must remember He is also a loving Heavenly Father—and His children can trust Him.

I love this picture. Two objects in the photo above are vivid pictures to me of God's loving, sovereign rule, and of my need to rely on Him.

Look with me a few minutes at these two objects:

1. The Tapestry

Tapestries are beautiful, traditional works of art. This one pictured above is a famous one, "The Lady and the Unicorn." * Tapestries inject great touches of style, personality, texture, and color into homes.

Some are simple designs. Others are intricate. But they all have something in common.

The backsides of tapestries are often a knotted mess.

Even if all the knots are neatly clipped, it's still can be challenging to distinguish the creator's design from the backside.

Unfortunately, we only see the backside of our lives.

God always knows the design He is creating in and through us—the Creator makes no mistakes, and His plan for us will be accomplished. But we may not understand all the whys of His working.

We are not omniscient—all-knowing like our God.

Besides that, His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways—they are far above and beyond our own thoughts and ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Because He is God and we are not, we need to trust Him in the processes and outcomes of our lives.

2. The Pot

The second object in the photo that reminds me I need to rely on God is the pot next to the couch.

Pottery reminds me of God's sovereign rule. In the story of the Potter and the Clay (Romans 9:19-24) we're reminded that God can do with us as He wills. (See also these scriptures.)

It's a simple but profound concept.

God is the potter; we are the clay. God is the Creator; we are the created.

In a broad sense, God is the Potter and humanity is a lump of clay; and from this lump God makes various vessels.

It is His right to do with the clay whatever He desires, and He makes sovereign choices.

The giant lump of clay is dirty and flawed, but God pulls from the lump to create beautiful vessels of honor fit for His service.

And He makes vessels of dishonor that also serve His holy purposes.

(I know this scripture passage is controversial, and I won't go into all the ramifications of Paul's words here—but clearly he says God has the right to do with us as He wills.)

Paul makes the case: Who are we to "talk back to God"? Who are we to say that God is not just and fair? We're lumps of clay!

The point I want to make here is:

We humans have so much pride, tremendous arrogance, when it comes to God's sovereign rule. 

It's foolish that fallen, flawed creatures think they have a right to question and pass judgement on their Creator's actions. We have no right to demand explanations from the sovereign ruler of the universe! He owes us no apologies.

In an attempt to understand, we can ask questions of God as His creation and His children—David did; Mary did.

But we must not question God as judges.

Biblical Christians realize their desperate need for a savior, and that the Savior is Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, an irreverent attitude toward our Creator and our Savior can manifest itself even after we have received God's salvation. (That's why believers through the ages were told to fear God—to reverence and obey Him.)

Some Christians believe that once we are Christ-followers, we deserve "special treatment" from God. In other words, we have a right to never suffer, to never face tough circumstances, etc.

That is not biblical thinking.

We should expect trials and suffering, and in them, God calls us to cooperate with Him as He purifies us to make us vessels for "nobel use, consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work" (2 Timothy 2:20-21 RSV).

God has bigger plans for us than we can imagine.

And so, just like the potter smashes and reworks clay, the Heavenly Potter may purify us by:

• smashing some of our dreams,
• crushing some of our plans,
• and reworking the "clay" of our lives to better fit His purposes.

Becoming a smashed pot is painful, but it is necessary, because the Father who loves us wants to conform us to the image of His dear Son (Romans 8:29-30.).

I love to address God by the phrase "Father God," because it reminds me of who He is—not that it encompasses all He is, but that it helps me understand His working in my life.

1. He is my loving Heavenly Father. His purposes in and through me are for my growth and good, and for His glory.
2. He is the sovereign God of the universe—powerful and majestic, all-knowing, just and wise. Nothing takes Him by surprise, and nothing is outside His control.

Knowing these two great truths brings me peace, no matter my circumstances!

In a book promo for Heaven Rules by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, I read these words:

"Heaven is ruling, always ruling. That doesn't mean that we won't experience distress, but it does mean we can find a refuge by looking upward and letting His peace rule in our hearts." **

Though He owes me no explanations, I believe my Father God will someday help me make sense of the messy knots on the backside of my life tapestry—the abuse, the struggles with sin, the cancer. And I believe my Father God will use me for His purposes, as the Potter designs and uses the clay.

My Father God does this to make known the abundance of His mercy and the riches of His glory. And His gracious providence leads me to worship Him.

It also leads me to trust Him. As I look at the photo above, I imagine sitting down on that couch and relaxing in the midst of my tough circumstances. How can I do this?

My God is in control—and He loves me!

Do you flinch at God's workings in your life? How does knowing God loves His children and is powerfully designing their lives for their good and growth, and for His glory, help you trust Him more today?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

* The traditional woven tapestry in the meme, "The Lady & the Unicorn" is available at Art & Home.

** Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Heaven Rules: Take Courage. Take Comfort. Our God Is in Control, Moody Publishers, 2022. (Quote is here.)