Ideas on How to Love God
Mark
12:28-31 tells us that the most important commandment is to love God.
In Luke’s description of
what was probably the same event, Jesus explicitly affirmed that answer (World
English Bible, public domain):
Luke 10:25 Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Luke 10:25 Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is
written in the law? How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
strength, and with all your mind; [Deuteronomy 6:5] and your neighbor as
yourself. [Leviticus 19:18]” 28 He [Jesus] said to him, “You have answered
correctly. Do this, and you will live.” [All these “loves” are agape love.]
So how do we love God?
One way, Jesus said, is to
follow His teachings, or commandments. See John 14:15-24. Most of those
teachings are in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7. See also the “Great
Commission,” of Matthew 28:18-20.
An on-line search led to
many articles on the subject. Here are some of their suggestions on how to Love
God: 1) be thankful, including for things we don’t like. 2) trust God 3) put
God first 4) be committed 5) be humble 6) spend time in prayer.
Some other ideas: If I
really love someone, I will pay attention to what they say, even if I don’t
like it, or it’s repetitive. If I really love someone, I want to be in their
company. If I really love someone, I want the best for them -- I want them to
be thought well of. May I feel that way about God the Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
George Croly expressed love
for God in a great poem, “Spirit of God, Descend Upon my Heart”: The hymn says:
Hast Thou not bid me love
Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul,
heart and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross; there
teach my heart to cling:
O let me seek Thee, and O
let me find!
Teach me to love Thee as
Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling
all my frame;
The kindling of the heaven
descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and Thy
love the flame.
