For a long time I struggled with not knowing how to love God and worried that I was not a true Christian because I could not grasp what was expected of me.
Granted I grew up accepting Christian principles and knowing God as my Lord and Savior, learning very early in life how to worship and to pray to him, but I had trouble understanding how to truly love God in the way that I thought I should.
The uncertainty remained with me well into adulthood. I knew all too well what it felt like to be in love and to be loved in a husband and wife context but I could not equate that emotional and physical bliss to a love of our Creator.
Everything that I read or heard on the question either went over my head or failed to adequately provide answers. I cannot believe the amount fruitless study I engaged in over the years, church sermons I'd listened to and lip service I paid before, almost out of the blue, the light finally dawned on me...You love God by loving others. Why had that simple truth evaded me for so long?
The basic nature of God is love. What else is there to say? For so long I had been seeking a different kind of love befitting God and in reality there are no different levels or degrees of love to fit certain circumstances.
When we love others with unselfish love, we are taking on the nature of God and in effect loving him. We are commanded to love God and love our neighbor as our self. When we do this, we are demonstrating that we love God.
When you enter the world of Christianity, you must change your basic nature. The world has programmed us to look out for ourselves, to do whatever is necessary to get ahead. God created us with the instinct for self preservation. As a Christian, however, we must look out for others also.
After all these years of building up self we must sacrifice some time and effort, to serve others. I believe this is one of the most difficult lessons Christians have to learn. It may seem as if we are coldly and deliberately sabotaging self. In reality, we are simply learning to love others as we do our self.
Christians are supposed to operate by agape love. We are to have genuine concern for other people. Again, I believe that Christianity has failed to change the world because too few Christians understand or are willing to operate in this fashion.
The word love brings up many things in our mind. Greek and Latin terminology has different words for love. Flirtatious love, brotherly love. Sexual love. Friendship love, logical love, smothering love, divine love. The English language has only one word for love. It defines itself, so is it any wonder that we have trouble looking for any other definition?
In Greek, agape is used in most Scriptures that deal with the love man has for God, and God has for man. It describes the very nature of God. He is love. Since we are made in his image, it should describe our nature.
When you enter the world of Christianity, you must change your basic nature. The world has programmed us to look out for ourselves, to do whatever is necessary to get ahead. God created us with the instinct for self preservation. As a Christian, however, we must look out for others also.
After all these years of building up self we must sacrifice some time and effort, to serve others. I believe this is one of the most difficult lessons Christians have to learn. It may seem as if we are coldly and deliberately sabotaging self. In reality, we are simply learning to love others as we do our self.
Christians are supposed to operate by agape love. We are to have genuine concern for other people. Again, I believe that Christianity has failed to change the world because too few Christians understand or are willing to operate in this fashion.
The word love brings up many things in our mind. Greek and Latin terminology has different words for love. Flirtatious love, brotherly love. Sexual love. Friendship love, logical love, smothering love, divine love. The English language has only one word for love. It defines itself, so is it any wonder that we have trouble looking for any other definition?
In Greek, agape is used in most Scriptures that deal with the love man has for God, and God has for man. It describes the very nature of God. He is love. Since we are made in his image, it should describe our nature.
Jesus introduced agape love principles with the golden rule: Do to others what you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12 ). This law is based on Leviticus 19:18. Love your neighbor as yourself. It is called the Royal Law in James 2:8, because all laws of relationship are based upon it.
The principles of agape apply in marriage also.
Love that involves romance is great but it is by nature selfish, predominantly satisfying self needs only. Agape love causes each partner to seek satisfaction for their spouse first. Both needs are met in a beautiful relationship if agape principles are followed. Marriages fail because people quit being concerned for their spouse.
So then, love can be described with the three letters -- "G-O-D" -- and three words "God is Love." The world describes love as an emotion. It is much more than that. It is giving and commitment.
Consider that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. He loved, he gave the most precious gift it was possible to give. He is committed to us for life, like we are to be in our wife and husband relationships.
And the loss of a life partner does not mean that our ability to love has gone with them...I get it! Love is a living thing and it is to be shared abundantly as long as we live.
I am so relieved that I now know how to love God. If by chance, like me, you didn't know before, I hope you are (relieved) now too my friend!
It was really not that complicated after all.
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