Love Now

“I’ll love you when you learn to obey me.”
“I’ll love you when I have time for you.”
“I’ll love you when you lose weight.”
“I’ll love you when you think like I do.”
“I’ll love you when you quit smoking.”
“I’ll love you when you start going back to church.”
“I’ll love when you stop using that tone with me.”
“I’ll love you when you stop nagging me.”
“I’ll love you when I make enough money.”
“I’ll love you when I have time for you.”
“I’ll love you when you get a job.”
“l’ll love you when you fix the car.”
“I’ll you when you get the shot.”
“l’ll love you when you vote for this candidate.”
“I’ll love you when you graduate.”
“I’ll love you when you are successful.”

In other words, “I’ll love you when you earn it.”

Would you ever say something like that: to someone else or to yourself? Yet how many of us imagine that God “says” such things? And how many of us believe that “I’ll love you when you earn it” is what someone is really saying when we hear:

“You should . . . .”
“Why don’t you do it like this . . . ?”
“The Bible says . . . .”
“That’s not what I believe . . . .”
“I would never . . . .”
“How many times do I have to tell you to . . . ?”
“Where did you hear that? “
“It’s for your own good . . . .”
“Someday, when you have kids . . . .”
“I worry about you . . . .”
“I’ll never understand you.”

Stop waiting to love and be loved. Love now.