Our love for God grows not by trying harder, but by letting His love reach us more deeply. The scripture says so.
Our love for God is responsive, not self-generated. The initiative is always God’s.
Some translations say " abide," which is a posture of receiving, not striving. Jesus doesn’t say, “Work harder to love Me.” He says, “Remain. abide, stay. live inside My love.”
Ephesians 3:17–19 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Paul’s great pastoral insight is that spiritual strength comes not from trying harder but from becoming rooted in God’s love. Notice: the transformation flows from receiving, not performing.
Matthew 11:28–30 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
This is Jesus saying, “Stop trying to earn what I freely give.”
Here's how Rick Warren addressed this same issue:
A while back, a man came into my office and said, “I’m a Christian, but I don’t feel like I’m going anywhere in my spiritual growth. I’m kind of stuck in neutral.”
I said, “What do you think the problem is?”
He said, “I think my problem is I just don't love God enough.”
I said, “That's not your problem. Your problem isn’t that you don't love God enough. Your problem is that you don't understand how much he loves you.”
Love is always a response to love. The Bible says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). When you say, “I don't love God,” it's because you don't understand just how much he really loves you.
