1 Corinthians 13:13 reads, "And now these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
It is easy to love God when you already feel loved. When life is treating you well, and God's presence is obvious, that is when you feel that he loves you too. When you are blessed with good health, stumble upon success, and are surrounded by people who care about you, it seems natural to praise him. When everything seems to be falling into place, and you feel untouchable, that is when you give God the most glory. When you are loving life, it is easier to love God.
It is harder to love God when you feel unloved. It is easy to question him, doubt him, and even resent him, when you are struggling or feel unfulfilled. In sickness, poverty, and loneliness, it seems more natural to blame God rather than to glorify him. When everything is falling apart instead of falling together, it is difficult to let yourself fall into the arms of Jesus, because you may feel that he has already let you down. However, God already told us that there would be trouble, but reminded us in so many words that His hand is always reaching out to guide us through it. When we don't feel God holding our hand anymore, it is because we are the ones who pulled away.
You are called to love God with all of your soul. Loving God with your soul means never pulling your hand away. It means when life is kind, you grab His hand and run, and when life is not so kind, you grab his hand and walk with Him. It means that even when you're exhausted, you worship Him with every ounce of energy you have. When you're poor, you still feel rich because His love for you is invaluable. When you're lonely, you find comfort in His promises and commitments to you. Loving God with your soul means loving God with a broken heart. And when your heart is full, you love Him then, too. It means that even when your soul is crushed, you still choose to love Him with all of the pieces. It means loving God when it's easy and loving God when it's hard; with all your heart, mind, and strength. Most importantly, loving God with your soul means that you are living for Him with every ounce of your being, when you feel loved AND when you feel unloved, because in every moment you are loved by God.
