To Love God

What does it mean to love God? Many people claim to love God, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, and many other folks, but there’s a lot of difference in how that claim is worked out.

If someone claims to love God they usually think they have to do something and, depending on their faith, that can take wildly varied forms. Some people sing hymns or ‘go to church’ (which is very good), others give their time to the poor and needy (which is also very good). Still others feel that killing unbelievers is enough to prove their claim to love God (which is very bad!). They can’t all be right, so I want to dig a little deeper and look at that question from a different perspective.

Understanding The Basics

The first thing is to know what love is, and the Bible is just the place to find that out.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (NKJV)

In the above passage, Paul gives us a clear picture of what love – God’s love – truly looks like. That’s the standard with which we are to compare our actions, and since God is love it’s an important standard to recognize. If what we do doesn’t fulfill the characteristics of this passage, then we aren’t operating in love, regardless of our motivation.

The next thing is to find out what (or more accurately Who) we are supposed to love. Once again, the Bible is just the place to find that out.

Mark 12:30-31

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these. (NKJV)

What do these two passages have to do with each other? Have you ever thought about it? I know I have because they don’t really seem to go together. At least that’s what I used to think!  In fact, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

This is Part One of a multi-part series. Keep watch for the next installment!