Expressions

John 21:¹⁷ “Then Jesus asked him again, “Peter, son of John, do you have great affection for me?” Peter was saddened by being asked the third time and said, “My Lord, you know everything. You know that I burn with love for you!” Jesus replied, “Then feed my lambs!” (TPT)

Your expression of love to God depends on your level with God. How an ‘infant’ – a baby Christian, will  express love to God is different from how ‘a child’ in God that is not an infant will express love. How a ‘teenager’ in Christ will express love is different from how a ‘child’ would. And how an ‘adult’ will express love is different. If you have a child [a baby, an infant], how would the baby express love? By eating, pooing, crying, and sleeping. Yet you would happy to carry the poo because this is your child. Even when you open the diaper and they wet your face, you think ‘what a blessing’ because you waited and trusted God for the ‘child’..

When you were an infant believer, did you notice that when you prayed, miracles happened immediately? But guess what? A lot of people want to stay ‘infants’ in God but God says, ‘No!’ and they are shocked. What is love for a ‘child’? Love for a ‘child’ [again it is cumulative]; needs will still be met but beyond needs being met, love from a ‘child’ is obedience and devotion. When the ‘child’ becomes a ‘teenager’ [again it is cumulative]; love from a ‘teenager’ is contribution. Have you washed daddy’s car? Have you swept the living room? Have you gone to the market? Do teenagers still go to the market? Note that by market, I mean the open market, not the store or the mall. Perhaps just a few but in our own time, you have to go to the market. Some parents can have a heart-attack just from hearing that their teenager has to go to the market.

When a teenager is properly trained, i.e. parents are parenting properly; there is some contribution that will be expected from a teenager. Let’s say for us it was to wash daddy’s car, the tyres and everything must be shining. He comes out and you have not washed the car. He says, ‘Son, that car is not washed?’ You say, ‘Daddy, you know I love you.’ What will happen? That child will get a new definition of love that day. Spiritual ‘teenagers’, workers; you have to contribute to God’s house by serving, that is a contribution. Some people are still ‘infants’ and are fighting God today because they want to remain as ‘infants’. They are saying, ‘God, where are the miracles You used to do?’ God says, ‘No miracles. Go and do what I have asked you to do! Your level has changed.’

However, when we become spiritual ‘adults’, we move beyond contribution. When you become a spiritual ‘adult’, your language of love to the Father is reproduction. How many people are you taking care of for Jesus? How many people have come to and are staying in the faith because of you? How many people are growing in the faith because of you? Jesus asked Peter, ‘Do you love Me?’ repeatedly because He was trying to drive home a message. The problem is many of us love God in our hearts. God is saying, ‘I cannot see it anymore because what I want to see is fruit.’ It is your fruit that will register your heart, your love.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, as I grow in God, help me to be faithful in obedience and devotion, in contribution and in bearing fruit, in Jesus Name. Amen!