Loving God is the greatest commandment that Jesus gave us (Matthew 22:37-38). To love God means to have a deep, intimate, personal relationship with Him. It goes beyond just knowing about God or believing in His existence – it’s loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Here’s a closer look at what the Bible says about loving God:
Putting God First
Loving God means He takes first place in our lives. We make God our highest priority and love Him more than anything or anyone else (Exodus 20:3). His will comes before our own desires. We seek to please and honor Him above all else. As Jesus said, no one can serve two masters – we can’t claim to love God while being devoted to money, success, relationships or anything that rivals Him for our affection (Matthew 6:24). Loving God means He alone sits on the throne of our hearts.
Obeying God
A key part of loving God is obeying His Word and commandments. Jesus said if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). We show our love for God by living according to His instructions and not rebelling against His laws. Obeying God is an expression of our love, respect and submission to Him as our Lord. It’s more than just mechanical rule-keeping – it’s doing God’s will from the heart because we love Him.
Pursuing Intimacy With God
Loving God is not just about the things we do for Him but our inner relationship with Him. It’s easy to get so caught up in spiritual activities that we lose focus on God Himself. Loving God means carving out quality 1-on-1 time with Him to really know His heart. We love Him through prayer, studying the Bible, meditating on His goodness, and simply enjoying His presence. This intimate fellowship fills us afresh with His love and enables us to love Him more. (Psalm 63:1, John 15:9)
Trusting God
Part of genuinely loving God is trusting Him fully – even when life doesn’t make sense. We believe His promises and have faith in His perfect plans, knowing He causes all things to work for our good (Romans 8:28). Loving God means clinging to Him during painful trials instead of blaming Him. It means surrendering our whole lives to Him – dreams, goals, relationships – because we trust His sovereign control. Our love for God deepens as we rely on His faithfulness through every season of life.
Enjoying God
God wants us to love Him out of delight, not just duty. He wants us to enjoy Him and find satisfaction in His presence. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that the main purpose of man is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Loving God includes rejoicing in who He is and resting confidently in His love for us. It’s focusing our affections on Him through heartfelt worship. It’s finding joy in fellowship with Him. He is the source of true gladness! Loving God means cherishing Him above all else. (Psalm 16:11, Psalm 37:4)
Serving God
Love is more than just sentiment – it moves us into action. Loving God inspires selflessness, not selfishness. It causes us to focus on meeting the needs of others, just as Christ did. Jesus said if we love Him, we’ll feed His sheep and care for the poor and needy (John 21:15-17, Matthew 25:31-46). We serve God by serving others, letting His love flow through us. We offer our lives as living sacrifices, seeking to fulfill His purposes. Our works don’t save us but they do demonstrate genuine love for God. (1 John 3:16-18, Romans 12:1)
Loving What God Loves
Another aspect of loving God is sharing His heart – loving what He loves. God deeply values all people, wanting them to be saved and come to know Him (John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9). His compassion moves Him to reach out to the lost and broken. As we grow in love for God, we start caring about the things He cares about. We see unbelievers through His eyes, with grace and mercy. We cultivate His love for His bride, the Church. Our interests align more with His interests the more we love Him. (Matthew 18:12-14, Ephesians 5:25-27)
Loving Others
Loving God and loving others go hand-in-hand. 1 John 4:20-21 states that if we don’t love our brother or sister who we can see, we can’t truly love the invisible God. God puts such emphasis on loving others because it reflects His own heart of compassion. It also shows that His love has filled us and is spilling over. Our horizontal relationships reveal our vertical relationship with God. If we don’t selflessly love the people right around us, we still have more to learn about loving God. (1 John 3:14, 1 John 4:7-8)
Repenting from Sin
Loving God means turning away from sin that offends Him. We all stumble at times but loving God includes repenting and not clinging to wickedness. Sin damages our fellowship with God even when we’re saved. But when we truly love Him, we’ll be quick to confess and make amends because we care about staying close to Him. God isn’t looking for flawless perfection but rather a soft, submitted heart. His grace enables us to get back on our feet after falling. (1 John 1:9, Proverbs 28:13, Hebrews 12:5-6)
All of Our Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength
We don’t just love God with part of ourselves; He commands our all. Every facet of our being must be directed toward loving Him – heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27). Our minds focus constantly on Him through Scripture meditation, our hearts desire Him above all else, our souls worship Him, and our energy/strength is spent on serving Him. Holding back part of ourselves reveals a divided loyalty. But when we love God wholeheartedly, it brings every area of our lives under His loving leadership.
Not Legalistic but Transformational
It’s important to note that loving God is far more than just going through religious motions. Rules without relationship leads to self-righteousness and pride. Lovingly obeying God flows out of knowing Him personally, not trying to earn salvation. His love transforms us from the inside out. The more we experience God’s unfathomable love for us in Christ, the more we fall in love with Him. It’s not about checking off boxes but growing closer to the Lover of our soul. (2 Corinthians 3:6, Romans 12:2)
A Lifelong Journey
Learning to love God deeply takes time; it’s a lifelong journey. Our human love is fickle and conditional. But God grows His unconditional, passionate love within us bit by bit through life experiences. As we walk with Him through mountaintops and valleys, He expands our capacity to love at new depths. The more we grasp His extravagant love for us, the more our love for Him grows. There is always more to discover about loving the infinite God of the universe! (Philippians 1:6, Romans 5:3-5)
Loving God encompasses every part of life – how we spend our time, energy, resources; the thoughts we dwell on, words we speak, and deeds we do. It reshapes our priorities and purpose to center around loving Him and others as He loves us. This lifelong journey brings joy and meaning as nothing else can. The greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” As we grow in wholehearted love for God by His grace, His glory shines through us to the world. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 5:16)