Loving God
Here, on the last night of February, we look at one the most important loves we can have: The love for God.
A Disclaimer
This past week, my grandfather read my series and sent me some thoughts and reflections. The majority of this post is based off of my processing of what he said and applying it to my Biblical worldview. I mention this because I want to give credit where credit is due – this post would have looked very different if I had written it before Wednesday.
What Our Love Consists Of
Our love for God, in some respects, resembles our love for other humans. Or perhaps it’s better to phrase it the opposite way: Our love for others reflects the way we should love God.
Simply put, the way we show love to God is by following His commandments and living out what he asks of us. If you don’t believe me, let me illustrate my point.
Joshua 22:5 “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
John 14:15, 21 “If you love me, keep my commands…Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.“
1 John 5:3 “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.”
At first glance it looks like our love is reduced to a list of do’s and don’t’s. As long as we can check the list off, we can say that we’ve done our duty to love God, and that’s that.
For some, that’s a comfort. For others, like me, that’s distressing. Love shouldn’t be a checklist – it should be vibrant and alive! It’s a bleak thing to think that our love for God is merely a duty – merely a chore or an action to be performed.
The solution to this distress is found in our motivation for following God – what is your why?
Answering “Why?”
At the beginning of this month, I wrote about how I loved my mother because of what she did for me. She had done so much – she had shown me so much love – how could I not love her back?
My point was to draw a parallel to how we are supposed to love God, because He has loved us first. More to the point, I know how to show my mother love because of what she did for me.
My grandfather, however, pointed out a deeper truth. My mother’s actions, as wonderful as they are, were done because of who she is. Therefore, my love for my mother is not due to what she has done, but who she is. Her actions are just a demonstration of her character.
In the same way, our love for God should be due to his character, not because of things that He has or hasn’t given us. Likewise, our presentation of that love, obeying His actions, should be a demonstration of who we are inwardly. It’s not a checklist we do because we don’t want God to be angry with us, it’s our natural inclination based on our love for Him.
Again, let me give you an example from my household. We’ve established that I love my mother. So, if my mother comes to me and asks me to help with the dishes, I will. Was it my plan for the night? Most likely not – but because it’s my mother who asked, I’ll willingly do it.
(I do feel like I should add that I’m hoping my mom doesn’t read this and use it to make me wash dishes. If you come back and it reads, “she occasionally comes and asks me to do dishes,” you’ll know why)
In the same way, when God asks us to do something, whether it’s a call to do something or to avoid something, we do it because we love who He is.
Getting Deeper
You might notice that I’m slowly getting deeper and deeper into the answer, and asking deeper and deeper questions.
The first level is our outward actions – following God’s commands. However, they’re how we show our love. Our expression of love comes from our inward character.
Likewise, it’s a response to the outward expressions of God’s love, which spring from the inward character of God. That’s our “why.” So, in the long run, it’s not that we should love God’s actions and blessings, but that we love God’s character – who He is.
The next level, then, is what is God’s character?
Who Is God?
I’m not going to give a comprehensive list of who God is. I’m sure it might be beneficial, but I think there are many books and articles on the subject.
Instead, I’m going to give a starting point of three aspects of who God is. Again, far from a comprehensive list on the Eternal, Infinite God of the Universe, but a starting point to begin to understand Him.
First, God is our Father. For those who are Christians, God has adopted us into His family, meaning that we are His sons and daughters.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:14-16)
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:4-6).
In both instances, we see that we get to call God our Father – what a beautiful thing!
Secondly, as the the second passage says, God is our Savior. As Christians, we get to trust in the sacrifice of Christ to save us from the penalty of our sins.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:8-9)
“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:9-10)
One key thing I want to note in both of these passages is it is nothing we’ve done to deserve this – it’s only through God’s love and grace. Again, it’s a beautiful thing to see!
Thirdly, God is with us at all times.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Again, it’s a beautiful truth to consider that, if we are Christians, we will never be separated from God!
Like I said, this is a starting point: Let’s talk about how to go deeper.
How to Know God
If our love for God is based on our knowledge of him, then we need to know who He is.
The first way is constantly repeated, and for good reason: Read your Bible.
Want to get to know me? Read what I’ve written. You’ll quickly get a understanding of my beliefs and my passions. Likewise, if you want to know God, read what He’s written. You’ll begin to understand who He is.
The second way is through prayer and meditation on Him. When I say meditation, I mean taking an aspect of God – you could even start with one of the three I’ve listed – and think about it. Instead of emptying your mind, as the typical perspective of meditation holds, fill your mind with God and study Him. You could even find Biblical support for whatever aspect you’re focusing on!
Thirdly, find someone older and wiser in the faith and put yourself under them. Ask them to help you along with your knowledge of God. While you’re looking for a mentor, read books on the subject. I highly recommend Knowing God by J. I. Packer and Desiring God by John Piper.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, ask God to give you knowledge Him about yourself. You can read the Bible all you want, but if He’s not revealing Himself to you, all you’re going to find is facts about Him, not personal details about who He is to you.
Concluding Thoughts
Our love for God is not a simple as being able to check all the boxes and calling it sufficient. The outward expressions of this love – which, as Christians, should be everything, even such things as eating and drinking – are based off our knowledge of who God is.
So, seek after God with everything you have.
I remember when I first prayed, “God, I want the desire to know you – I want to want you.” I didn’t know where it would lead, I just knew that I wanted it.
It took years of constantly seeking after God, until one day, I realized I knew God and His voice. I realized that I had sold myself to Him in everything. I had asked God to reveal Himself to me, but throughout out those years, He did. Like Paul, I say, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:12)
So push on, my friends. Constantly go deeper with God. I promise you, you will not be disappointed with what you find.