Love For God: What It Means To Love God The Way He Wants Us To

In the New Testament, Lord Jesus revealed the greatest commandment to the Pharisees: “Jesus said unto him, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.’ This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37–38).

To love God is the fundamental belief of Christian doctrine. It is the primary reason for our existence, as Jesus Christ and His disciples preached in the Bible.

God loves us so profoundly that it led Him to sacrifice His Son so that we could attain salvation and eternal life. Unlike fragile human love, God’s love is constant and steadfast.

Therefore, we are to love God in return for His steadfast love. In a world where love often seems shallow and centered on material things, how can we be certain that we are loving God as the Bible teaches us to?

What Does It Mean To Love God?

To love God is to serve, worship, and obey His words. It means loving God with our whole being and prioritizing our relationship with Him before anyone and anything else. When we love God wholeheartedly, we acknowledge His sovereignty, accept Christ as our Savior[1], let the Holy Spirit indwell us, and put the scriptures into practice in our own lives.

• And to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices (Mark 12:33).
• Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:1–3).
• Know therefore that the Lord thy God is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 11:1).

Loving the Lord Jesus Christ means knowing Him and trusting that we are under God’s grace and mercy. Every person who claims to have complete faith and love for God surrenders everything to Him. They continuously seek to understand His will so that they can live a life that honors and glorifies Him.

What Does The Bible Say About How To Love God?

Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. This is underscored in Deuteronomy 6:5: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” It is the greatest of all the commandments that Christians should live by.

Serve God with joy. If we truly love someone, we serve that person not because we’re obliged to but because we want to please them. If you’re wondering how to serve God, one way to do so is by using your skills and talents to serve others. After all, God wants us to love others as we love ourselves. By serving others, we are also serving God.

Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

— Matthew 25:40

Obey the Scripture and His commandments willingly. Obedience is an act of love and loyalty. We obey God because we want to please Him, and we trust He knows what’s best for us. We are now under the New Covenant, but that doesn’t abolish God’s Word and Law in the Old Testament.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

— John 14:15

Worship the Lord your God passionately. Whether you choose to worship Him through singing, praying, or meditating on the Word of God, do it passionately. Surrender your body to Him and show your devotion with complete sincerity.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

— Romans 12:1

Read the Holy Bible. Where else but the Bible can you discover and learn about His divine love? The Bible is God’s words written in human language so we can apply them in our daily lives.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

— Joshua 1:8

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 emphasizes this. It is no secret that God, the Heavenly Father, wants an intimate relationship with us. When we pray, we are talking to our Father in Heaven. Regular conversation with someone brings us closer to the other party. Praying deepens our relationship with the Lord, which is what He desires.

Love the Lord by gathering with other believers. Whether inside or outside the church, spending time with people who embody the same values and beliefs as us encourages us to grow in our love for God.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

— Hebrews 10:24–25

Love God by sharing your blessings. It does not have to be limited to your money, though you may certainly share it with those in need; another way to bless others is to offer your talent, time, and other possessions. By giving to others, we are also giving glory to God.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

— Matthew 6:21

Share the Word of God. The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross to deliver us from our sins. We received the gift of eternal life through His sacrifice. God wants us to be saved, but people must first hear and accept the good news.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him, of whom they have never heard? And how are they supposed to hear without someone preaching?

— Romans 10:14

Repent and have faith in God’s perfect love. Like the sinful Pharisee in Luke 7:36–50, who worshiped and loved God with everything she had, we should also ask for forgiveness and trust in God’s love.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with a loving kindness.

— Jeremiah 31:2

Persevere in the face of adversity. Our love and trust in God are tested during our most difficult struggles. Complete confidence in Him and His plans shows our dedication to loving and keeping our connection with God.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

— James 1:12

Ways You Can Express Your Love For God

Strive to live a holy life. Several Bible verses illustrate how we should express our love of God. Ultimately, it all boils down to following Jesus, our Savior, in all His ways and commands. As God’s moral creations, we should live our lives in what is fitting as His image-bearers.

Love and serve God through serving others. First and foremost, God wants us to love Him above all else, then our neighbors, like how we love ourselves. No one wants to harm and cause misery to someone they truly care about and love. Instead, if one loves God, it will make them want to think and act in ways that will bring joy and peace to Him and those around them.

• You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 13:4).
• “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Joshua 22:5).
• “But I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you” (Jeremiah 7:23).
• “The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes, and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant” (2 Kings 23:3).

10 Bible Verses About Love For God

1. Deuteronomy 7:9: “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
2. 1 John 4:7–11: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world . . . as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
3. Psalm 97:10: “Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”
4. Matthew 25:34–40: “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.'”
5. Ephesians 3:17–19: “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.”
6. Deuteronomy 13:3: “Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
7. 1 John 3:17–18: “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”
8. 1 John 4:16–18: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
9. 1 John 4:19–21: “We love because He first loved us. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”
10. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15: “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.”

Summary

They say, “Love makes the world go round.” Love makes the world a better and safer place to live in, and we cannot achieve this without loving and knowing God, for God is love, and love is God. After all, God created us to revere and love Him. Everything else comes after Him.

We can rely on His strength and unwavering love to give us comfort and guidance during our trying times. He will never fail us if we genuinely desire to walk with Him. When we find it hard to love because of our circumstances, we should pray and pour our hearts out to our Father. May God bless us as we journey into a holy and fulfilling life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does It Mean To Love God According To Christian Doctrine?

To love God according to Christian doctrine means to serve, worship, and obey His words wholeheartedly, putting Him first in your life and acknowledging His sovereignty.

How Can One Express Love For God?

One can express love for God by serving others, obeying His commandments, engaging in passionate worship, studying the Bible, praying regularly, and sharing His teachings with others.

Why Is Loving God Considered The Greatest Commandment In Christianity?

Loving God is considered the greatest commandment in Christianity because it forms the foundation of the faith, emphasizing the importance of a deep, personal relationship with God above all else.

What Role Does Obedience Play In loving God?

Obedience plays a crucial role in loving God as it demonstrates loyalty and trust in His wisdom and involves following His commandments and teachings as an act of devotion.

How Does Loving God Impact A Believer’s Life?

Loving God impacts a believer’s life by providing a sense of purpose, guiding moral decisions, offering comfort in difficult times, and fostering a fulfilling and holy life under His guidance and love.

What Is The Significance Of Prayer In Expressing Love For God?

The significance of prayer in expressing love for God lies in its ability to strengthen the relationship with Him, allowing believers to communicate, seek guidance, and deepen their understanding of His will.