Jesus, Lord to Love You Only

God lives and works today. Because He is a loving Father, He wants His children to be happy and joyful. But perhaps your life is lacking joy.

You know someone who really is happy, who seems to have an inner spiritual wealth, and you've discovered that it's love for Jesus that makes him so happy. But you wonder, how can I find this love for my life? Today's meditation by Basilea Schlink will show us the answer. I know of a woman who loved her husband very much.

When she became engaged, she gave him her yes, freely, for his own sake. Since then, years have passed. In her marriage, she cares for him, and even shares the burdens and responsibility of his profession.

And yet, her husband knows, something is missing. The most important thing isn't there anymore. The intimate, personal tie to him is not the same as it was in the first years of their marriage.

One day, I came to realize that my relationship to my Lord Jesus had become like this. What did I do when I had some free time? I couldn't wait to get together with other people, people I liked and with whom I had something in common, so we could share ideas and experiences. Or I read a stimulating book.

Or I went out to enjoy nature. I even plunged further into my work, doing things I normally didn't have time for. But to go to Jesus, to give him first claim on even my spare time, that I did not do.

My love was a divided love. It belonged as much to some other person, or to whatever I was interested in at the moment, as to Jesus. Jesus, however, who is himself love incarnate, longs for our exclusive love, a love which seeks him and him alone.

Nothing can satisfy the heart of Jesus except our love. It's important that we dedicate ourselves unstintingly to our work. And it's important that we bear our burdens with patience.

But these alone are not enough for Jesus. He wants more. He longs for the intimate personal surrender of our hearts to him.

Only then can he give us his love, the love that contains all riches and the essence of joy. But how can we acquire this love, which the Bible calls the first love? The way that leads us into a great love for Jesus is so simple that a child can understand and do it. We must simply learn to say yes to those things which are revealed by the judgments and disciplines of God, or to the reproaches of men.

When in everyday life we learn to admit our sins and mistakes, then we open the way for God to pour his love into our hearts. Ever since I learned to love Jesus, my life has become unspeakably rich and happy. Jesus became everything to me, all riches, all joy, and infinite love.