How Do You Love God?

How Do You Love God?

You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

Mark 12:30

Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me.”

John 8:42

Those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.

1 John 2:5

Have you ever met a couple in love? They can’t get through a conversation without talking about the other person. They see everything about their lives in relationship to that person. They not only talk fondly about the one they love, but they also look forward to talking to him or her—not out of any sense of duty, but because they want to share the ups and downs of their days, their deepest thoughts and feelings. They look to the future and smile with a sense of satisfaction and anticipation about life together. They can’t stand it when something comes between them, and they’ll do whatever is necessary to make things right again.

This kind of love helps us understand what the greatest commandment in the Bible means—love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. In other words, we are to love God with every part of our beings—our emotions, our thoughts, our speech, and our actions. God knows what our souls need most and what will satisfy our souls most—to love God freely and deeply.

What does it mean to love God? Loving God includes obeying all his commands, believing everything in his Word, thanking him for all his gifts, enjoying all that he is. To love God means that we want to express our love for him in ways that matter to him—and that means obedience.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What does it mean to say you love another person?

How is loving God similar to loving another person? How is it different?

How can you learn to love God more? What are some specific ways you can show that love?