Love: The Root of Knowing and Doing God’s Will

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“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

-John 14:21ESV

Often in our walk, we find ourselves wondering what God’s will for us is in certain situations. Should I quit my job? Buy this car? Look for a new church? These are good questions to ask of the Lord in prayer. Yet sometimes we tend to overthink these specifics.

When we love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will understand what his will for us is and how we can live it out in everyday decisions.

Throughout the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus, who was both God and man, is our example of perfect submission and obedience to his Father’s will. Did he have to clarify the Father’s will? No. Was he confused about his mission? No. God’s will wasn’t a mystery to Jesus, but a knowledge imparted and received through love.

If we want to understand what it means to know and do the will of God, we must begin where Jesus begins—with the knowledge of the Father himself.

Know God’s Will by Knowing God

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing.”

-John 5:19-20

Though he was God incarnate, Jesus models for us that knowing God’s will is not primarily about information but about relationship. He acted in unity with the Father, always, and regarded his love for the Father as something to treasure above all else.

Our foundation for any aspect of our faith, whether it be knowing God’s will, receiving salvation, or trusting him for the unknown, is to know who God is.

How do we get to know God?

The best place to start is in his Word. This is why he has preserved it for us! So that we may know him and his Son, and so that we may have hope (Romans 15:4). You may start by making a list of God’s attributes. Read through a portion of Scripture and write down words or phrases that describe his character. Even in the Old Testament, where many want to label God as a harsh, wrathful powermonger, we see great evidence of God’s mercy, his justice, and yes, his love.

As we get to know God through his word, our hearts will marvel at his Sovereignty and stand in awe of his power. When we realize that this same powerful God loves us tenderly, like a father, we can’t help but love him. And it's this love that is the root of knowing and doing the will of God.

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Know Him by Loving Him

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

-John 14:23

Think of someone you love deeply. What has caused you to love them so? Chances are, you have known this person for more than a short time. Often, the more we get to know someone, the more we love them. As our relationship grows, the more we reveal our hearts to each other, which helps us to understand one another and exchange bountiful grace.

It’s the same with the Lord. The more we get to know him, realize the depth of his love and mercy for us, and commune with him in prayer, the more we love him. It’s a beautiful cycle that deepens our knowledge of him the longer we walk together.

Whereas a human relationship, no matter how loving, will still fall short of perfect, our friendship with God is never dependent on circumstances or personalities. Knowing that by his very nature God is unchangeable means that we can be assured his love for us will never change.

In John’s gospel, we see that Jesus desires for us the same kind of love he enjoys with his Father:

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:38-40).

Jesus wanted with all of his heart—even his very life—for us to experience a relationship with God. Knowing what it would cost, he willingly went forth in obedience to his Father’s will.

Love Him by Obeying Him

“…but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”

-John 14:31

Obedience is not the price of love, but evidence of love.  

Jesus gave the ultimate gift of love by sacrificing his life so that sin would no longer keep us from knowing and loving the Father. He did this out of obedience to his Father’s will, because he loved his Father, and because he loved us.

It’s a heart-wrenching, hope-filled portrayal of the greatest commandment.

When asked what the greatest commandment in the Law was, Jesus answered,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

The Law, which detailed every single thing the Jewish people must observe to remain in God’s will, was fulfilled in Christ and summed up by these two commandments.

Today, we can be assured we are in God’s will if we, too, love God with everything we have, and love one another—no matter where we work, what car we drive, or what (Bible-believing) church we attend.

Obedience can be challenging, as our flesh will want to wrestle at times with God’s will for us. Even Jesus struggled with his flesh in the Garden of Gethsemane as his crucifixion drew near. Yet remembering his Father’s love strengthened him to carry out his Father’s will.

Obey Him by Abiding in Him

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

-John 15:9-10

Christ has united us to himself through his sacrifice of love, and our obedience will flow from that union.

As a branch must remain connected to the vine to receive the nutrients necessary to bear fruit, we must remain attached to our ultimate source of power. Jesus Christ, through his Holy Spirit, enables us not just to obey, but to want to obey. He longs for us to enjoy the fruit of knowing and loving him.

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What does this look like in daily life?

• Remaining in the Word.

• Meeting with the Lord in prayer.

• Sharing fellowship with other believers.

• Loving and serving those around us.

• Worshiping God through song, through praises, through any act that celebrates his truth, goodness, and beauty.      

Though we often want God to illuminate the path five steps ahead, he calls us to walk in the light already given.

The Gospel of John is a great place to linger in Scripture to see the light of God’s love revealed in and through his Son, Jesus Christ. God does not desire to hide his will from us or make it difficult to understand. His desire is for relationship, his will is for us to be saved, and Jesus is the way to finding and receiving that love.

“I made known to them your name…

that the love with which you have loved me may be in them.”

-John 17:25-26

This article was first published in Refresh Magazine. Click here to subscribe!