Imagine telling your wife that you love her with half of your heart. I can just imagine her thinking who are you in love with the other half. If we apply this same logic to Jesus then He has every right to question what other gods you may be serving besides Him.
The Scriptures are clear that we must serve God with our whole heart if we expect Him to work on our behalf. (2 Chronicles 16:9) tells us: “For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, so that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”
The Bible also tells us that God is a jealous God for we read in (Deuteronomy 4:23-24): “So be careful yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything against which the Lord your God has commanded you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Now we normally associate the word jealousy in a negative way but that’s not the way it is used in relation to God. Look at it this way you should be jealous for your relationship with your wife. Your relationship with her is unique and singular and intimacy with her is not meant to be shared with others – only with her. And that’s the way God views it. He wants an exclusive relationship with you. And exclusivity means we can only serve one God; and not share our love with any other gods.
And the exciting thing about serving only Jesus is it brings with it a treasure chest of blessings. Remember God didn’t create us because He needed us. He was perfectly content in His relationship with the other members of the Trinity. No, He created us because He wanted to lavish His love on us and bless us. And God knows that when we obey Him with a whole heart we set into motion an amazing amount of blessings. Isn’t this the same way that we relate to our own children. When they are young we require complete obedience not because we want to spoil their fun or punish them but because we love them and know what is good for them.
(Deuteronomy 10:12-13) is the definitive verse in all of Scripture that tells us what God requires of us, but as you will see it is for our good. The verses read: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” God’s greatest desire is to bless His children and have an exclusive relationship with us. He knows that when we put others before Him and disobey His wonderful commandments that this kind of a relationship won’t be very fruitful for us. It’s just like telling your wife that you love her but also other women as well. As with marriage only a 100% commitment to your spouse will make for a happy marriage. And the same is true with God – only a 100% commitment to Jesus will bring us peace, joy, and meaning.
Total obedience to God is the pathway to the deep blessings in life and a wonderful relationship with the God of the universe – Jesus Christ. The next time you hear the word obedience realize that in relation to Jesus it is a beautiful word that will only lead to a more intimate relationship with Him. And there is nothing sweeter on this earth than true intimacy with God.