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Delighting in God Equips us to Love
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 Jay's Blog |
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Tuesday, February 28, 2006 |
Faithful ministers live the lifestyle of a shepherd; they are constantly caring, nurturing, protecting, instructing, and giving. At times what flows out of them exceeds what flows into them. They can become so emotionally drained that they feel like they are merely ‘going through the motions’ when loving the saints. In times of spiritual and emotional exhaustion; where can we who shepherd find the grace necessary to love the brethren ‘supernaturally’? John Piper provides some exceptional insights that answer this question.
Says Piper, you have capacities for joy which you can scarcely imagine. They were made for the enjoyment of God. He can awaken them no matter how long they have lain asleep (Desiring God, Multnomah Press, p. 84).
Joy in God is the best equipping we can have to love others. Love is the overflow of joy in God. 2 Corinthians 8:1-8 shows that Paul thinks of genuine love ONLY in relation to God. Paul says of the Macedonian churches, “They first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God” (8:5).
The nature of love is seen in four things: 1.) It is a work of divine grace (8:1). 2.) This experience of divine grace filled the Macedonians with joy (8:2). 3.) Their joy in God’s grace overflowed in generosity to meet the needs of others (8:2). 4.) They gave beyond their means even begging for the opportunity to sacrificially meet the needs of others (8:3, 4) (pp. 94-96).
Love is the overflow of joy in God that meets the needs of others (Luke 14:33; Heb 10:34; 11:24, 25) (p. 106). We need to think of biblical love in this manner; namely that delight in God fits us for a supernatural love of the brethren.
George Mueller of Bristol saw delight in God as the necessary daily preparation for serving Christ. I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how much I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. . . I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation on it.
Consider the reasons for delight in God: 1.) We take hold of our created purpose when we are radically committed to the pursuit of full and lasting joy in the Lord (1 Jn 1:4). 2.) God is breathtaking and ravishing to the redeemed soul (Ps 27:4; Is 6:1-3; Eccl 3:11). 3.) The Word of God commands us to pursue our joy in God (Phil 4:4; Ps 37:4). God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy in Him (Deut 28:47, 48). 4.) Affections are essential, not optional in the Christian life (1 Pet 1:8). 5.) Delighting in God combats pride and self-pity (Eph 2:7, 9; 1:5, 6; 1 Cor 1:28, 29; Matt 5:11, 12). 6.) Delighting in God promotes genuine love for people (1 Jn 5:2-4). 7.) Delighting in God glorifies God (Rom 11:36; Is 58:13, 14) (pp. 211-226).
The next time we feel like we are merely ‘grinding out’ the duties of ministry (especially in relation to others); realize that the Lord is the source of love. All love is from God (1 Jn 4:7). Go to God to be happy in Him—to delight in Him; your capacity to love will be revitalized in the process. |
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