How to Love God
Valentine’s Day is a holiday dedicated to love. But what is love? If you listen to the songs that have been recorded over the years about it, you would find some interesting definitions. In fact, it’s kind of frightening to think that some people might come up with their view of love from movies and songs.
For instance, what do we know about love from songs? We know that “what the world needs now is love, sweet love.” We also know that “love is a many-splendored thing.” Another song tells us that “love is the answer.” Perhaps the Beatles recorded the definitive song on the subject: “All You Need Is Love.”
Various philosophers have opined on love as well. Plato called love “a grave mental disease.” Oliver Wendell Holmes was more optimistic about love when he said, “Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.” And Erich Fromm called love “the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.”
Movies, songs, people . . . but what does the Bible say about love? How are we to love God?
Love in the Bible
The Bible says clearly that God is love. We don’t have a greater example of love than what we have in God showing His love for us. The definitive statement on love is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV).
We have this amazing example of love in which God loved us. So how should we respond? We ought to love Him back. In fact, the Bible says, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NKJV).
Loving God
We can talk all day about love and how much we love God. We can sing about our love for Him. And we can speak about our love for Him. But probably the best way to show our love for God is in what we do. Jesus said, “‘If you love Me, keep My commandments’” (John 14:15 NKJV).
Jesus also said, “…‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37 NKJV).
God wants to be number one in our lives. He wants our faithfulness. He wants us to be loyal to Him. How sad it is when a husband leaves his wife or a wife leaves her husband. How tragic it is when there is unfaithfulness in the marriage. But let me ask you this: How would you feel if your spouse left you for another—not another person, but a mannequin? You would think your spouse had flipped his or her lid.
Is it any stranger when we leave the true God for a false one? Any person, any pursuit, or any passion that takes the place of God in our lives potentially could be an idol.
A Look at the Ten Commandments
I think there are a lot of people today who worship a dumbed-down version of God. Yet we find that the first of the Ten Commandments has to do with worshiping the right God: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3 NKJV). We must reject every false god in order to worship the true God—who is the only God.
Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24 NKJV). It is good to worship God in spirit. There is a place for emotion in worship.
We will watch a Super Bowl game where a lot of excited people are screaming, yelling, painting their faces, and wearing the team colors. We’ll think, “There is a fan for you!” It seems very normal to us. But when someone comes to church and lifts one hand to the Lord in worship, people look at that person and say, “Fanatic. That is so out of place.”
Is it? Is there a place for emotion in worship? Yes, there is. We need to worship God in spirit.
Jesus also said that we must worship God in truth. There is a right way to worship the right God. And God doesn’t like it when we think we need images or icons or statues to help us in our worship.
Not only is God against material images that misrepresent Him, but He is also against false mental images.
When we say things such as, “Well, my god is like…” or “I like to think of god as a…” we are making God a figment of our own imaginations. If the image of God is false, then the thought of God is false, and it will produce a character that is false.
Let me take it a step further. When someone says, “I believe in a god of love, not a god of judgment” or “I believe in a god of forgiveness, not a god who would send someone to hell,” they are inventing their own god. And when they speak that way, not only is it unbiblical, but it is having another God before Him. We cannot edit God.
God Wants Our Complete Love
God is zealous in His love for us, and He wants us to be zealous in our love for Him. He loves us and wants an exclusive relationship with us. After all, doesn’t a wife want her husband to be faithful to her? Doesn’t a husband want his wife to be loyal to him as well? Doesn’t a parent look out for his or her children and care about their welfare? Of course.
God was saying in the Ten Commandments, “I want your complete love. I don’t want you to bow down before other gods.”
We don’t have to do certain things to be loved by God or to earn His approval. That has been accomplished at the Cross, where Jesus met the righteous requirements. We already are loved by God, and the things we do should be a response to His love for us.
God loves us, and we should want to show our love to Him—not just in what we say, but also in how we live.
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Learn more about Pastor Greg Laurie
