How We Can Love God

How We Can Love God

One way to love and honor to God with our lives is with our acts of worship by doing good things in His name. So what compels us to do so? I think gratitude for what Jesus did on the Cross to save us, and the impact of the Holy Spirit in our lives once we have been saved, influences how we treat God and others. The Bible exhorts us to do good but because of our human nature to gravitate toward self,  we sometimes don't always fulfill God's desire. However, one who really loves God consistently looks for opportunities to share the Good News, follow God's principles, offers their time, talent and resources for His kingdom purpose,  and spends time with God in authentic relationship. All these things are acts of Worship which express our praise, reverence, and love for God. There are many Bible passages that reflect how we can show love for God and others. Applying God's principles will not only reflect our desire to do good, but also express our love and devotion for God and our neighbor. So how can we love God?:

Principle 1: Be determined to Love God and your neighbor. Become a disciple of 

                   Jesus 

Matthew 22:37-40 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

John 13:34-35 New International Version 

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”          

Principle 2: Do good in God's name

Colossians 3:17 New International Version

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Matthew 25:40 New International Version (Loving others shows love for God)

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers

 and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Ephesians 2:10 New International Version (God's desire for us is to do good. He created us for that purpose. Remember, good works don''t save us  but reflect the new life we have in Christ)

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Principle 3: Obey God's commands. Our obedience displays the depth of our love we 

                    have for God

1 John 5:3 New International Version

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,


Principle 4: We have to take to heart and apply God's Word 

 James 1:22–25 New International Version But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says.

John 14:15 New International Version

If you love me, keep my commands.  (Jesus telling his disciples)

 So, loving God is shaped by our attitude.

 

The Apostle Paul said this about what our attitude should reflect:

Philippians 2:5 NIV

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Jesus is our example: 

He healed the sick, spoke truth, feed the poor, hungry, loved even the leper, performed miracles, was an example of servant leadership, lived out the definition of humility, did not sin when tempted by the devil, taught about the Kingdom of God and real authentic love

The Greatest of all the things Jesus did was His willingness (Submitting to God's will and purpose) to die on the Cross for the sake of our salvation (Deliverance from sin and its consequences). This is the greatest example of amazing love aside from the creation itself. The Bible confirms that this incredible demonstration of love came in the form of sacrifice.

Romans 5:8 New International Version  (Jesus' display of love through His willing sacrifice)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus also showed love for others in another form. Jesus fed those who were hungry for food and truth. For those of us who are followers of Christ, a daily connection with God will satisfy our need to be filled by His Spirit and His Word which is truth.

Mark 6:34 NIV  

(A good example of Jesus' compassion and desire to teach about the Kingdom of God)
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were

like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

So how are we to live in light of what God has done for us? 

Once we become followers of Jesus living the abundant life is not how much personal wealth we have attained, nor how much stuff we own. The abundant life is represented by the blessings we have received by having intimate relationship with God. The wealth of life we receive comes from the living water that flows within us, the Holy Spirit, which enables us to live God centered, love unconditionally, experience peace and rest, have a new eternal perspective, have Godly discernment and wisdom, grow in our faith, and live joyfully because we have eternal life and fellowship with the creator of the universe.

Sometimes it is hard for me to fathom that a God so big and so awesome would want to spend time in fellowship with me. What benefit could I possibly be to God?  Well, maybe God enjoys being loved. Maybe when we spend time with God each day we increase His Joy. Maybe when we sing songs of praise in worship to Him, He is touched by our reverence and love. We need to remember that God has feelings too. The way we think, the words we say, and the things we do, reflect how we view God in our lives. So there are things we can do regularly that show how much we love God and prioritize Him in our lives

Here is a list of some things we can do that reflect our love for God

·         Spend time with Him (Quiet time)

·         Pray

·         Read and study His Word

·         Obey His word

·         Live a life of Worship (Daily connection and reverence for God)

          Love others as much as we love ourselves

·         Even love our enemies

·         Give our gifts and resources to help others in need

·         Give our gifts and resources to the local church

·         Don’t sin

·         Give Him our best (excellence in attitude and work)

·         Share every aspect of our lives with Him (Let God in and do life with Him)

·         Admit the need for a Savior regardless of our level of depravity and sin

·         Give ourselves in service to God and others

·         Be part of a unified community of believers with purpose (Worship and Serve)

·         Tell others the Good News

·         Put God first and loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength

If God’s main purpose in creating us was to have a personal relationship with us, than

what better way to love God than to put Him first in our lives. The greatest commandment

is about loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Also by loving our neighbors as much as we love ourselves, we speak volumes of love to God as well.

Jesus showed His love for us by His willingness to die for our sins.

Our sin was washed away by His blood and sacrifice. There is no greater act of 

love than this.

So, let's think about how we can love God through a willingness for us to sacrifice for His sake. In essence we need to die to self. We should surrender ourselves completely to God through our commitment to living a life that is set apart to Him in worship and in service. We should offer ourselves, our bodies, to Him in such a way that display a pleasing act of reverence and worship. 

Romans 12:1 New International Version 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

 

We need to live a God-centered life. In fact,  when we live sacrificially we gain so much more out of life. The Bible speaks on this as well:

Mark 8:35 New International Version

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

Matthew 16:24-25 New International Version 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

So, If we want to show love to God than lets put Him first in every area of our lives. He is our creator, the king of the universe. Doesn't He deserve the best of our heart, soul, mind and strength?

Just Sayin…………………..Dave