Growing up, I remember frustrating my dad by just being an annoying kid, especially when he was asking me to do things like clean my room or mow the lawn. I remember trying to talk my way out of doing those things at various times, and I remember asking “Why?” when it was something that I didn’t want to do. I can hear his voice now saying, “Just do it because you love me.” It was his plea to his lazy son to make things a little easier on him for once. I then would usually do whatever thing I was supposed to do, but only because I felt like I was saying that I didn’t love him if I didn’t do the work. This is kind of how I related to this verse in John about obeying Jesus, but I think I may have missed the point.

What was my dad actually saying when he asked me to do the chores because I love him? He was essentially saying that by doing the things that he asked of me, I would be proving that I loved him. This is not what Jesus says in John though. Jesus says that if we love Him, we WILL keep His commands. It isn’t optional. It isn’t something that we hope to attain or try harder at. It is a statement that convicts me to my core because of how complete and final it is. No wiggle room. No room for conversation. Ouch. It’s a truth that is kind of hard for me to sit with because of how often I fail to keep His commands. This is not a lack of showing my love for God, but rather it is a lack of love for God.

So now what? Where do I go from this beat down place of my own life proving my lack of love for God so many times. Thankfully this passage brings hope! If you read the previous verse, Jesus tells us that we can ask Him anything and he will provide help. If you read the verses following this one, He tells us that we have the Holy Spirit that is our helper in times of need. There is hope all over this passage that surrounds this heavy statement that Jesus spoke. This is both a cause for our hearts to praise Him for His kindness and provision, and it is a challenge that we invest in our relationship with Him and ask Him to help us learn to love Him in a greater and deeper way. After all, His commands are for our good.

My challenge for you this week is to start seeing your love for God as something to be nurtured and cultivated. The goal here is not keeping God’s commands... it is knowing and loving God. This leads to keeping His commands out of love for Him. Really spend some time asking Him why you have such a hard time keeping His commands and ask Him to grow your love and desire for knowing Him.

In today's reading from the Crazy Love workbook, Francis challenges us to reflect on the depth of our belief in God as the greatest good in the universe. He poses a provocative question: "Can you say with complete integrity that he deserves every bit of your devotion, every ounce of your love, and every moment of your time?" Though this may sound extreme, it aligns with Jesus' teachings.

Jesus sets a clear choice—either he is the entirety of your life or not. The first example he gives is prioritizing love for him over family, a concept hard to grasp today but even more radical in Jesus' time when family was considered life itself. Jesus then urges us to take up our crosses, emphasizing not only self-sacrifice but also a readiness to endure significant suffering for the sake of Christ.

In essence, Jesus demands wholehearted commitment, going beyond strong dedication. This is challenging, especially for those who prefer control over their lives and decisions about what's right, wrong, and important.

The challenging aspect, however, comes with a silver lining. Despite our misconceptions, surrendering everything to God and self-denial do not lead to misery. Contrary to the notion that God wants holiness over happiness, the truth is that absolute devotion to Christ brings life—both in the present and the future. Our fulfillment is intricately tied to complete dedication to Him. It's not holiness instead of happiness; it's that holiness is happiness.

Jesus requests everything from us but, in return, promises to fulfill our truest and deepest desires. As you spend time in prayer today, ask the Lord to reveal areas of your life where you've excluded Him. Commit to initiating the process of surrendering those areas to Him.

Congrats! You made it through week 3 of Crazy Love. Now go to community group and share, learn, and enjoy time with your church family.