Consider What Loving Our Lord Means in Tangible Ways
If you’re like me, you may readily state that you love God. Emphatically so. But what do we really mean when we say this? What does our love for God look like? Do we truly love him?
Love God and Love Others
Jesus says that we’re to love God and love others (Mark 12:29-31). When we do these two things, everything else falls into place.
When we love God fully and love others without fail, we effectively cover every command in the Bible and every expectation of Jesus. Our love is key.
Yet love is a confusing word. This one English word covers a vast spectrum of thoughts and intentions. For me, I love my wife and I love pizza. Yet these two loves of mine vary greatly, spanning from passion to preference.
Likewise, I say that I love God and can also say, for example, that I love a movie. Yet these two recipients of my love are vastly different. But we use the same word to describe them.
Given this, what does our love for God look like?
Agape Love
The New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek. Greek has four primary words for love, which each carry different meanings and intents.
Agape love—which is unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial—is God’s love for us. Should our love for God reciprocate with agape? It’s something to contemplate. Is our love for God unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial?
When we consider how we love others, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives us a great list to follow. Should we—can we—apply this to our love for God?
Some of Agape love’s traits more readily apply to God. For example, are we patient with God or sometimes impatient? How well do we do at always trusting him? Of putting our full hope in him?
Conversely, do we sometimes dishonor him? Do we get angry when he doesn’t do what we expect or want? Do we keep a list of the times he disappointed us? Real love—the kind of love our Lord deserves—doesn’t do these things.
When it comes to loving others, I often say that love is not a feeling or an emotion. Instead, true love is attitude and action. In this way, love is a verb and not a noun.
Let’s apply this to our love for our Lord. To do so, we intentionally move from our professed love emerging from feeling or emotion, which can be both fleeting and fickle. Instead, we focus on an attitude of love, one that produces actions.
Consider these ways to love God with an attitude that inspires action:
Love through Thanksgiving and Praise
We show God our love when we thank him and praise him. But how often do we do that?
I’m getting better at thanking him for what he has done and is doing in my life and the lives of those around me. But I still struggle to praise him for who he is and his love for me. This serves as a nudge to do better.
When we thank and praise our Lord, we express our love for him.
Love by Obedience
Next, we prove our love for God by doing what he tells us to do. This primarily comes through his words in Scripture. But God doesn’t just speak to us through the Bible. The Holy Spirit also speaks to us. Are we listening? Do we hear? How well do we obey?
When we obey what God tells us, we demonstrate our love for him.
Love with Giving
Third is giving. When most people think of giving to God, their mind immediately goes to giving money to his church. But giving isn’t just about money. In fact, it may not even be primarily about money.
God doesn’t need our money, but he does want our hearts.
Besides money, we give God our time. We give him our priority. And we give him our possessions.
When it comes to the kingdom of God, we’re generous with our schedules, our focuses, and our belongings. We’re also generous with our money—not just 10 percent, but how we regard and use all 100 percent.
When we’re generous with how he’s blessed us, we confirm our love for God.
Love through Example
Fourth, we love God by the example we give to others. Does the life we lead honor our Lord, point people to Jesus, and encourage others on their faith journey? Our lifestyle matters—to both God and those around us.
When we live a life worthy of our Creator, we showcase him by our example to all those around us.
Love by Witness
Last, we love God with our testimony. Whether through word or deed, we are a witness to a world that needs a Savior.
Some people are great at telling others about Jesus, while others are equally effective at showing people about him. Ideally, we should do both, but we can a least do one, witnessing through word or deed.
When we serve as a worthy witness for Jesus, we proclaim our love for God.
Do You Love God?
We may readily say that we love God. But we verify it through thanking and praising him, by our obedience, and with our giving. Further, we substantiate our love through our example, our lifestyle, and our witness.
These are all ways that we can truly say, “I love, you, God.”
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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