To Know Him is to Love Him

“I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine” John 10:14

“Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him” I John 2:15


Augustine said that everyone is born with an in inherent need to worship. Our soul is a "God shaped vacuum" which we attempt to fill with things and not God. Within this inherent need to worship is the need to love something or someone. We love family, hobbies, pets and chocolate. How does this love occur? How do you know you love someone or something? I remember as a lad asking, “How will I know when I find the love of my life”. The answer was usually, “You'll just know”.

To love is an act of the will. The more pleasant that object of love may be to us the less effort is involved in the will. The greatest key to knowing if something or someone is loved is the amount of time given to that object of love. I once spent the weekend with some friends of mine who just had a baby. For 2 days they were baby talking, goo goo this and goo goo that. Mom and dad were completely obsessed with this baby and the entire weekend evolve around this little one. It nearly drove me nuts. It took little effort of will on the part of the parents to dote on this baby. Their time was consumed with her and they loved her immensely and still do.

If you want to get to know someone, work with them 40 hours a week. Even though you are not, “in love” with that person you learn their likes and dislikes. You learn to anticipate how they will respond in certain situations. And you learn when to avoid them if possible. All of this occurs not because you have an intimate love for that person but because you spend time with them.

Though I have never been married I have been in love. When we first fall in love our whole world is preoccupied with that person. You go to sleep at night and awake in the morning thinking of them. Throughout the day the thought of them may cause you to daydream. The expression, “falling in love” is quite appropriate for this type of behavior. It makes me think of a glassy eyed, preoccupied person walking along and falling in a ditch. “Falling in love” is often not true love. As you spend more time with that person then you will discover if your will to love them is true.

We can't truly love someone unless we know them. And we can't truly know someone unless we spend time with them. The amount of time you spend with the Lord in prayer and communion is indicative of your love to Him. You cannot know the Lord without spending time with him. When you fell in love with your spouse you made time for them did you not? Stop being a mere acquaintance of God ,get to know Him again. Ask Him to put the desire in your heart. Fall in love with Jesus all over again and spend time with Him. Is their sin in your life that hinders you from hearing or desiring to hear His voice? Ask God to give you a repentant heart. Turn from your selfish desires and turn to the cross of Christ. To know Him is to love Him.

“My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me” John10:27.