Fanning the Flame of Love for Jesus (by Amy Vest)

Amy Vest, a friend of mine who runs a ministry for young women, has an infectious love for Jesus. I asked Amy to write a guest article on pursuing Christ with a wholehearted pursuit. In this article she talks about three ways you can grow in your love for Jesus Christ.

Fanning the Flame of Love for Jesus

I want to love Jesus, don’t you?

I want to love Him with a love that permeates every ounce of my being, that transforms all I say, think, and do, and that spills and sparkles out of my life in a way that helps others love Him, too.

Our amazing Jesus has purchased us by His blood, pursues us with His eternal love, and has told us that the greatest thing we can do is to, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart…” (Mark 12:30).

This is what we were created for—a relationship of love with Jesus that satisfies us, glorifies Him, and blesses others. 

If we will answer His call to walk in love with Him, we will discover the fulfillment our souls crave and our lives will be forever transformed.

So, how can we grow in love for Jesus?  How can we fan the flame of love for Him so that it roars into a bonfire of affection for the Lover of our souls?

I am so excited to look together at the delight of our call to:

1) Know – Jesus and His love
2) Grow – in love for Jesus
3) Overflow – in love, obedience, and sharing Jesus with others
…and how this becomes a beautiful cycle that takes us deeper in love with Jesus.

Are you ready?

1) Know

Do you really know Jesus? Can you say that you have, not just a head knowledge, but that you have a personal relationship with Him? Do you know Him like you know your best friend? When you know Jesus, you cannot help but love Him. Just think—how do you know that you love chocolate? You have tasted and experienced the delight of it for yourself, right? Psalm 34:8 calls us to “Taste and see that the Lord is good…” As you know Jesus by experience—His love, faithfulness, holiness, etc., you will see that He is good and you will find that love for Him comes naturally.

2) Grow

So, how can you grow in knowing and loving Jesus? First, you enter into a personal relationship with Jesus in salvation by trusting Him as your Savior and Lord. Then, He calls you into an ever-deepening personal relationship of love with Him for as long as you live. 

Here is the beautiful thing—Jesus started this love, is pursuing your heart with it right now, and will love you forever. As you know Him and receive His lavish love, you respond from that in delighting to love Him in return. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

He has given us many ways to grow in personally knowing and loving Him by His grace, as His Spirit works in us. As we embrace them—keep in mind the goal of knowing and loving Jesus more—Jesus will do beautiful things in deepening our love for Him!

These are a few powerful tools for fanning the flame of your love for Jesus:

• Personal time with Him – where you meet with Him alone and soak in His presence
• Reading His Word – the Bible – a love letter that reveals Himself, His love, His Truth to you (There is incredible power in reading, looking for Who He is!)
• Prayer – communicating with the Lover of your soul
• Fellowship – spending time with others who love Him and encouraging one another in loving Him
• Worship – lifting Him up for Who He is in singing and prayer – “Jesus, You are faithful, loving, matchless, etc.”
• Input – filling your heart and mind with things that will increase your love for Jesus – messages, music, books, blogs (like deeperChristian), etc.
• Reminders – having things that remind you of Jesus and His love throughout the day – verses around the house, a ring you wear, special personal reminders of His love (a song, heart-shaped things, a sunset…), etc.
• Remembering – taking time to remember Who He is, what He has done, the journey with Him so far, and the ways He has shown His love
• Journaling – Who you have known Him to be, prayers of love to Him, etc.
• Choices – asking, “What increases my love for Jesus?” and pursuing those things
• … and so much more!  

Philippians 1:9 says, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment…” Just like your best friend became your best friend as you invested in the relationship and knew them more, so it is with Jesus—and on an even deeper level! 

The more you know Jesus, the more you will love Him!

3) Overflow

As you love Jesus, your heart and life will overflow—in love for Jesus, desire to follow Him in surrendered obedience, and passion to share Jesus and His love with others. You have tasted the wonder of Jesus, experienced that He is good and have been satisfied—and you are compelled to live a life from that love. You echo the disciples, “The love of Christ compels us…” (2 Corinthians 5:14), say with Spurgeon, “Shall such a love as this have half of our hearts?” and pray, “Jesus, You are matchless! May my life be lived to know and make known You and Your love!”

This becomes a beautiful cycle of knowing, growing, and overflowing in love for Jesus that continues—we know Jesus, then we want to grow in knowing Him, as we know Him, we overflow with love for Him, and that love compels us to know, grow, and overflow in love for Jesus more!

Isn’t this exciting?

I can tell you from personal experience that this has forever changed my life.

Oh, I long to grow in this relationship of love with Jesus for as long as I have breath, don’t you?

Our Jesus is forever faithful, is always pursuing our hearts with His love, and will take us deeper in love with Him through the happy and hard seasons—bringing fulfillment, joy, and purpose to every moment.

Yes, this is what we were created for—a relationship of love with Jesus that satisfies us, glorifies Him, and blesses others. 

Friend, Jesus is calling you to this—will you respond?

Let’s embrace the wonder of Jesus and fan the flame of love for Him until we see the Lover of our souls face-to-face and worship Him for eternity!
  

——————–

Learn more about Amy Vest and Loving the Lord Ministries.

Read a similar article by Amy