I don't love God!

[elysian]

I need him. I need him so as to be forgiven and saved. I fear him, his wrath. But honestly, do I love him? Does my heart stop when I hear his name? Nope. Am I in tears when I think of his sacrifice? No, even his bleeding palms do nothing for my heart, it is still cold and hard.

Put simply, I don't love God, try as I may. I just fear him, need him. That's all.

 

[jiggyfly]

Have you met Jesus the Christ? Have you had a supernatural encounter?

 

[elysian]

Have you met Jesus the Christ? Have you had a supernatural encounter?

No, unfortunately.

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

elysian,
I know exactly how you feel. In fact, I feel that way right now. I have had many "supernatural encounters", but now I feel wearied and burdened and alone, and like I don't know or love my God. The pain even makes me feel like I don't even like him sometimes. But then I think about Christ's sufferings and repent.

We are commanded to love God. But what is love?

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10​

So love is not what comes from us, but what comes from him expressed in the works of the son of God. If we love the truth, we will acknowledge and abide in his love towards us (the truth of the good news that we are forgiven), and will practice love (mercy and forgiveness) towards others who love the truth.These are the two most important commands: to love God and to love others like we love ourselves. God is very well pleased with this.

Many will interpret Revelation 2:4 in terms of passion, affection, and zeal:

Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Revelation 2:4​

The Greek word translated first, can mean initial, but is more often translated foremost, i.e. most important.

Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy most important love. Revelation 2:4​

And what is the foremost love?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first (foremost) and great commandment. Matthew 22:37-38​

How do we love God above all else? See second paragraph.

 

[Templar81]

I have a simialr feelign when i think about God the Father as I do fear him, his wrath, his judgements etc and I do suruggle sometimes when I read the Old Testament to see him as loving. However, when I think of Jesus who is God the Son and what he went through I feel very moved and I feel almost ahsamed for what we (the human race) put him through when he is the Son of God and he came to save us and we treat him so badly.

When I think of that I remember that God the Father truly loves us because he does not punish us for what we did to his Son but instead offers us redemption because of it.

Remember our delight is in the fear of the Lord and we will all come before him one day with all our sins, designs and machinations laid bare and on that day we will all feel fear but I think we will feel love as well.

 

[jiggyfly]

No, unfortunately.

Then I would say your first step should be to ask God to reveal Jesus to you.

 

[AWord2TheWise4u]

I need him. I need him so as to be forgiven and saved. I fear him, his wrath. But honestly, do I love him? Does my heart stop when I hear his name? Nope. Am I in tears when I think of his sacrifice? No, even his bleeding palms do nothing for my heart, it is still cold and hard.

Put simply, I don't love God, try as I may. I just fear him, need him. That's all.

God has given you mercy and blessed you to tell the truth from your heart not only to yourself but others. This is a essential blessing of God, that all who make it must have. At this point in your life, at this point in time, God has accepted you for what you are and where you are at with him.

 

[elysian]

Then I would say your first step should be to ask God to reveal Jesus to you.

I have asked a thousand times. Nothing so far. I can theoretically understand that Jesus died for me, but that knowledge doesn't lead to love in the sense I've described. What I experience is just gratitude - he has saved me and I thank him, that's all. No real love.

 

[AWord2TheWise4u]

God has given you mercy and blessed you to tell the truth from your heart not only to yourself but others. This is a essential blessing of God, that all who make it must have. At this point in your life, at this point in time, God has accepted you for what you are and where you are at with him.

And before you can love the Lord you must fear the Lord.

He is got you going in the right direction. He knows what He is doing with you. keep telling God the truth from your heart and never ever lie to him. He has His own time table.

 

[Redeemed86]

I need him. I need him so as to be forgiven and saved. I fear him, his wrath. But honestly, do I love him? Does my heart stop when I hear his name? Nope. Am I in tears when I think of his sacrifice? No, even his bleeding palms do nothing for my heart, it is still cold and hard.

Put simply, I don't love God, try as I may. I just fear him, need him. That's all.

The easiest way I know to soften and heat iron (your heart) is in a refining fire. If you think God has abandoned you, you are wrong, and it's the complete opposite. He is actually closer than you think.

Psalm 34:18

[sup]18[/sup] The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

When your relative love dwindles, his absolutely abounds. Part of loving someone, is disciplining and correcting them when they are in error.

Job 5:17
[sup]17[/sup] “Blessed is the one whom God corrects;
so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

Hebrews 12
God Disciplines His Children

..[sup]4[/sup] In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. [sup]5[/sup] And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
[sup]6[/sup] because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[sup][a][/sup]

[sup]7[/sup] Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? [sup]8[/sup] If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. [sup]9[/sup] Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! [sup]10[/sup] They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. [sup]11[/sup] No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

** I don't know of any earthly harvest that didn't involve laborious sowing.*
While we are stuck in the "now" of things, God is spurring us on toward the "later on", but you have to faithfully endure and cling to Him to reach it.

[sup]..[/sup][sup]12[/sup] Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. [sup]13[/sup] “Make level paths for your feet,”[Prov. 4:26] so that the lame [impaired, crippled...you] may not be disabled, but rather healed.

When we take on a 'woe is me' attitude, our faith remains in a crippled state because God has infinite strength, and if we relied more on him and his will, and less on ourselves, his strength would be imparted into us. In this verse, I feel that spiritual healing is what is being addressed, but as we know, Jehovah-Rapha has no limits.

To expand on this a little more, when you have full use of your legs, you walk without second guessing anything and take your legs for granted, which can lead you to stray down dangerous (sinful) paths. If your knees are week or impaired, you will walk much more carefully and will need a crutch (God) to lean on while you learn to walk correctly and receive healing.

The Almighty God is using your impairment to show how much he personally loves you, so that even through physical healing, you will desire to walk with him eternally.

Again, God Bless you, Elysian

 

[HeRoseFromTheDead]

Put simply, I don't love God, try as I may. I just fear him, need him. That's all.

It would be enough for me if I felt loved by God. Do you feel loved by God?

 

[Vashti]

I.

No real love.

Psa 111:10 esv"(10) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!"

1Co 16:22bw"Jeśli kto nie miłuje Pana, niech będzie przeklęty! Marana tha."

as far as I understand God does not need our emotional ecstasy, only:

Joh 14:23-24 esv"(23) Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (24) Whoever does not love me does not keep my words".

II.

It would be enough for me if I felt loved by God. Do you feel loved by God?

Please see the quotes above and quote below:

1Kor 8:3 esv"(3) But if anyone loves God, he is known by God."

III.

Have you had a supernatural encounter?]

Can you explain what you mean are you saying "supernatural encounter" and if we have some sort of biblical reference that?

 

[Shirley]

It's so sad that religion does such a bad job at showing Gods goodness. It is his goodness that draws us! I'm so sorry Elison that you are so discouraged. Religion made me think God was not love. The devil made me think God was not love. Let me tell you that God loves you more than any person could be capable of. If you don't love God then it is b/c you have a wrong concept of him.

We don't always feel loved but we know it. If we never knew it then we never knew him, for he is love. Too bad there are not more saints to show Gods love. Well i love you brothers and sisters!

Father please reveal yourself to these honest seekers!

 

[aspen]

We were created to love God and others. Love has a feeling attached to it, but it is also an action. If you are not feeling love for God, you can still love Him through obedience and service.

 

[prism]

I believe the key to our lovelessness is found in this passage. See that the debt forgiven is relative to how much we perceive ourselves forgiven and indebted to God. God in Christ has forgiven all but we may believe He has only forgiven 5¢ worth.

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
(Luk 7:39-47)

 

[LittleFlower]

I have asked a thousand times. Nothing so far. I can theoretically understand that Jesus died for me, but that knowledge doesn't lead to love in the sense I've described. What I experience is just gratitude - he has saved me and I thank him, that's all. No real love.

Elysian,

I don't know if this will help or not, but here's what I've come to understand in my own life: sometimes, we mistake love for a warm, fuzzy emotion. Although emotion is certainly a huge part of love, it's not the only thing that sustains it. See John 21:15-17.

15 When they had ufinished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, v“Simon, wson of John, xdo you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed ymy lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, z“Tend ymy sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him athe third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, byou know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed cmy sheep. 18

When Jesus asks if we love Him, he doesn't want just warm fuzzy feelings. It's perhaps an added bonus if we DO feel great delight in the Lord, and if we do feel as though we're 'in love with Him', but what He asks of us is to feed His lambs and tend His sheep -- in other words, to look after "the least of these", because they're His. To Jesus, that's demonstrating our love for Him. In another verse, He says that not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will be saved, but rather, those who do the work of the Father will be. Love is a "verb". I honestly think it's okay if we're truly thankful for His death and resurrection, even if we don't "feel" the love we have for Him on an emotional level at first -- usually, that sort of love for Him is easier to be felt when we start to take care of "these little ones" He's left us to care for.

When I think of my human relationships with loved ones and family members, I realize that a HUGE part of that love I have for them ISN'T the emotional, happy, warm fuzzy feeling we associate with "love'. Instead, it's wanting to serve them, help them, comfort them, encourage them. It's that verb, and by acting out love for them, I hope in some small way I'm maybe helping to point them towards Jesus.

Hope that helped a little.

 

[NicholasMarks]

There are different ways of looking at Almighty God's teaching but there is only one truth and it is all contained within Jesus Christ's accurate word.

Love is a key component in that teaching and it is something we feel when a guiding force gives us strong guidelines to avoid danger and to take on our worst fears and help us with them.

It is all encapsulated within Jesus Christ's teaching which encourages us to upbuild our inner spirit because that spirit is a tool which reaches into our genetics, soothing and calming them. It reaches into our minds and lightens our loads and corrects our thinking. It can support us when in danger and give us strength when circumstances would otherwise weaken us. The power of meekness, prayer and humble worship is all that is required and ensures that the active force of Almighty God can come to us and fill us with the warmth of Christian love. Besides which...a strong, robust spirit based upon Jesus's teaching will ensure our resurrection.

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

I don't feel squat as far as all giddy emotional lubby dubby when I think about God. At one point I felt horrible because I didn't. I've seen people act and say things all the time, that would be indicative of someone who was emotional about God. Then I realized. Those people are also emotional about EVERYTHING.

After a few years of lamintation on this, I've come to realize. A relationship with God has nothing to do with emotion. Just because I don't feel a certain way, or react a certain way when I hear the name Jesus, doesn't mean I don't love God.

After being with the same woman for 18 years, married for 16 of them, I completely understand what Love is. I love my wife, but, I don't get all emotional when I look at her or hear her voice. Most of the time I feel absolutely nothing. I'm very unemotional. When she's out of town for a week, I don't feel right, there's something missing. Sometimes I feel something, but most of the time not.

Having emotions involved definately clouds things. This is why "the heart is decietful above all things". People that are already emotional and bubbly by personality can't ever understand what the rest of us don't feel. They actually think that everyone is the same way. Many people (TV preachers in particular) make a big show of how much they "Love the Lord", and will tell you that if you don't feel the joy and peace they do, then God is not in your life.

Then again, I prefer to use reason and logic. There's a strong possiblity I'm a Vulcan. If only I can get the Vulcan Nerve Pinch down.......