John 14:21 "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, He is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
1 John 5:3 "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome."
When we hear the words commandments, laws, or rules, we tend to immediately have a negative reaction, as if we are being limited or restricted in some way. In the book, Experiencing God, Mr. Blackaby likens God's laws and commandments to a guide. He says, "Suppose you had to cross a field full of land mines, and a person who knew exactly where each one was buried offered to take you through it. Would you say to him, "I don't want you to tell me what to do. I have free will! I don't want you to impose your ways on me."" Seems pretty foolish to ignore the advice of someone that already knows all the dangers we will ever face.
Here is another example, "Suppose the Lord says, "Let me tell you where a beautiful, wonderful expression of love is. I will provide you with a spouse. Your relationship with this person will bring out the best in you. It will give you an opportunity to experience some of the deepest and most meaningful expressions of human love. That individual will release some wonderful things in you, affirm some things in you, and strengthen you when you lose heart. That person will love you, believe in you, and trust you. From that relationship I will give you children who will sit on your knee and say, 'Daddy, I love you.'" But God also says, "Do not commit adultery." Is that command to limit or restrict you? No! it is to protect you and free you to experience love at its human best. What happens if you break the command and commit adultery? The love relationship is ruptured between husband and wife. Trust is gone. Hurt sets in... Scars severely limit the future dimensions of love you could have experienced together."
Maybe we need to adjust our hearts and minds and understand that when God tells us not to do something it is not to limit us, it is to free us.
1 John 4:16 "God is Love."
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