Joshua 23: Selfish Love?

"So be very diligent to love the Lord your God for your own well-being."

Joshua 23:11

Questions of the Day:

Is it selfish for us to love the Lord?  Those of us who love the Lord do so for our own gain.  What gain could we possibly bring to Him?  He is almighty and omniscient; He has no need for us.  Is it wrong, then, for us to love the Lord?  Selfishness is regularly recognized as sinful!  Is it sinful to be selfish if that selfishness means obeying the Lord's commands?  The Lord Himself bribes us into loving Him by offering blessings of peace and prosperity.  Are peace and prosperity really the motivators which lead us to love the Lord?  True love is - as Jesus showed us - unconditional, regardless of what is given in return.  Do we truly love the Lord if we are doing so out of a selfish desire to earn His blessings?  He Created us to desire His blessings.  If He gave us the desire in the first place, is it selfish to love the Lord in exchange for those blessings?

And now we've come full circle...

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, I would like to be able to say that my love for you is as unconditional as Your love for me.  Fortunately, You and I both know better.  This means I'm free of the burden of trying to lie to You to gain Your favor...  I couldn't gain Your favor no matter how hard I tried!  Yet somehow, You have found favor in me anyway.  For that, I am eternally grateful, and in exchange for Your favor I do give You back all the love You give me.  I do share Your love with those around me so that they may also come to know Your blessings and love You as well.  And maybe that's the point - maybe our love for You changes the way we treat others, which in turn changes the way they treat others.  Help me to keep spreading Your love until the whole world loves one another and learns to love You as well.  Amen.