Falling in Love with Jesus

Most of us remember vividly what it felt like to fall in love, that overwhelming desire to please the other person, to apologize quickly when we hurt them, to spend our last resource just to see them smile. Something about that person drew us in, and the closer we got, the more reasons we found to love them even more deeply, until we made the bold decision to commit our entire lives to them. That same pattern describes how our relationship with Christ should have begun. We did not become Christians by force. We discovered something extraordinary about Jesus, drew closer, uncovered even more of His beauty and grace, and were moved to repent, confess, and be baptized into His Church. If that discovery genuinely happened, the question worth asking is simple: why does our love for Christ so often fall short of the love we so readily give to another human being?

Moses' words to Israel capture what genuine love for God actually looks like: to fear Him, walk in His ways, love Him, and serve Him with all our heart and soul. If we are willing to go to such great lengths for someone whose love, however sincere, cannot be guaranteed forever, how much more should we pursue the Lord who has loved us faithfully from eternity and will continue to love us despite our repeated failures? The next time you express love to a spouse or someone you hope to marry, pause and ask yourself honestly how that same devotion compares to what you offer Christ. Let that reflection stir you to walk more closely in His ways, learning what pleases Him and quickly seeking forgiveness when you fall short, just as you would with someone you deeply love.