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Today’s Scripture: 1 John 4:20-5:4 (S.O.A.P 1 John 5:3)
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Overcoming the World 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Me From the Inside Out 
To Know and believe is in God is to KNOW LOVE was yesterday’s focus, and I believe it is the answer to John’s statement that God’s commands are not a burden – because His love changes us from the INSIDE OUT what would have once seemed a burden (living to please God instead of self) is now a desire of our heart. While we may not do it perfectly we find ourselves wanting to reciprocate His LOVE by living obediently to Him.
Love for God will show itself in obedience to God. Our hearts were changed when we were born again and keeping His commands should not be a burden to us but a true expression for our love for Him.
Jesus said the rules of the Scribes and Pharisees were as heavy burdens, but Jesus said of himself – my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
I loved the sentence in the devotional that said, “Every day is a new beginning in our quest to love God.”
Gods word and love should not be a burden to us. We are to embrace his word and his love. When we embrace his love, we are able to spread our love to those around us and especially to those who need it. Spreading our love and obeying God’s commandment to love our neighbors should always be at the forefront of our thoughts.