By Ernitre Timothy
ernitre206@gmail.com
Have you yet realized the main reason why you love God ? On short notice, the answer is yes. But have you and your fellows realized that this isn’t any ordinary question ?. Someone I thought was a non-believer back then asked me the same question. As any other believer, I had a lot of reasons to give. I loved God because he provided, protected and made me. He looked at me and smiled. Then he asked again as if saying I misinterpreted the question “What’s the main reason why you love God ?”.
I was kind of puzzled, I thought it was the very question I’d just answered. Then something ran up my mind and it’s like-what if he wants the greatest reason of all that I had told him. Okay-I love God because he is my creator, he made what I am, he created me and has always looked after me. There I thought I had it right again. But sarcastically, he made his face look serious and said he thought I was right in my own way but I could feel mockery in his tone. I kept wondering why such a question felt hard to answer, yet it seemed so simple that I could write a book of answers. I really had a lot of reasons to give, a mere page couldn’t be enough to write them down.
After a few months, I met him in a public transport vehicle. He had not recognized me sitting behind him. I heard him having a conversation with a certain lady carrying a bible just as he had met me too on the way from church. The conversation sounded familiar till I heard the lady answer him “I love God because he provides me with what I want and he protects me.”. I smiled knowing she was gonna have to try it again, so it was. She was wrong, just as I did, she looked for a genuine reason in all she had listed. I thought I had gotten a chance to over hear the answer but he didn’t tell her the answer either.
I couldn’t get the question off my mind even after several days had passed. The issue became serious when I realized everyone I asked had the same answer as well. When it over weighed me, I decided to ask our church pastor, but unfortunately he had the same answer as well. Having heard the same answer from someone I thought knew everything, I gave it some thought and decided to give up on it.
Then of recent I met him at a shop. I asked him if he still remembers a boy he asked a question. Then there a blow came. He didn’t remember since he asked a lot people the same question. I kind of felt hurt, not expecting to be forgotten, I decided to ask him the same question. His face showed it-surprise !, as if. He asked me why I asked the same question. I told him, the question felt hard to answer on my side and my reasons were slight and same as any others’ at church. He smiled and asked me why I felt that way but I couldn’t tell. Then he asked me why I loved my father and mother. I told him my father worked so hard to pay my tuition and my mom worked hard hard as well to see me grow upright. Then he asked me a question I had never thought of “What if your parents did nothing for you ?, would you still love them ?” I was confused for some time but he looked serious, he wanted my reply. I told him I would still love them even when he provided nothing for me or even when she didn’t care for me. He asked why I would still love them but I was really out of reasons to give. There was no reason for me to give. I just loved my Dad, my Mom, whether they cared, provided or not.
He smiled patting my back and said “That’s the answer you were looking for.”. Then I realized I had been blinded, I was clinging to slight reasons to love God. And this is the very message I want us to understand and take in. We can love God whether he created us or not,or whether he provides or not,whether he protects us or not. The same love we give our parents, our neighbors, our spouses and partners without reasons, is the very love we should have for him. If we only love him because he provides, protects and looks over us. Does that mean if I ask him to provide with something and he doesn’t provide, I stop loving him ? or let’s say I lose a brother in an accident, will I hate him for not protecting him ?.
Let’s realize his value to us but we shouldn’t only have reasons as to why we love him-GOD. Love can be at it’s best without reasons for it’s occurrence. Let’s learn to love without Reasons.