What Does The Bible Say About Loving God – The Real Deal

Loving God – I’ve been told to do it with every fibre of my being, but, honestly, I’ve often found myself wondering what that actually looks like. It’s a feeling, a sentiment, right – or is there more to it? I’ve been digging into the Bible, trying to get my head around what it says about loving God, and, gotta say, what I’m finding is blowing my mind – it’s not just about some fuzzy feeling, it’s about a whole-of-life transformation that can change, well, everything.

Top 5 Bible Verses About What Does The Bible Say About Loving God

I was sifting through my notes the other day, and I stumbled upon these Bible verses that really got me thinking. Check ’em out, and see if they help bring some clarity to all this. They’re like little snippets of context that gave my brain a much-needed boost, and I’m hoping they’ll do the same for you…

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Figuring Out What it Means to Love God in the Bible

Why Loving God is a Big Deal for Christians

I’m gonna be honest, my walk with God has had its ups and downs, but one thing that’s stuck with me is that loving Him is pretty much the most important thing in our faith. I mean, it’s the reason I go to church, the reason I volunteer, and the reason I try to be a better person.

The Bible’s pretty clear on this point:

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30, KJV).

For me, this verse is a reminder that loving God isn’t just some feeling that comes and goes – it’s a choice. It’s deciding to put Him first, even when it’s hard.

What the Bible Says About Loving God

So, what’s the deal with loving God? Is it just some warm, fuzzy feeling, or is there more to it?

According to the Bible, loving God means doing what He says – “keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3, KJV). It’s about living out what He’s taught me, listening to His voice, and surrendering my will to His. Easy peasy, right?

C.S. Lewis said something that’s stuck with me: “To love is to will the good of another.” When I love God, I want what’s best for Him, not just what’s best for me.

How Loving God and Obeying Him Are Connected

Here’s the thing: loving God isn’t just about following His rules; it’s about having a real, honest-to-goodness relationship with Him.

The Bible says,

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15, KJV).

For me, that means that when I love God, I want to do what He says – not because I have to, but because I want to. I want to make Him happy, to honor Him, and to bring Him joy.

As I look at my own life, I’m reminded that loving God is a process, not a one-time thing. It’s a daily choice to put Him first, to seek Him out, and to surrender my will to His. And when I do, I get to experience all the good stuff that comes with loving Him – joy, peace, and freedom.

Old Testament Teachings on Loving God

The Shema: A Call to Wholehearted Love

I recall my first encounter with the Shema, this crazy impactful passage in Deuteronomy, like it happened yesterday – still gives me chills.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5, KJV).

These words from Moses to the Israelites, they really get to the heart of it, you know – about loving God with every shred of ourselves.

The Significance of Loving God in the Old Testament Covenant

So loving God back then wasn’t just a whim or a fleeting feeling – no, it meant making a deliberate choice and sticking by it, because this choice was integral to God’s covenant with his people.
By choosing to love God, Israelites committed to follow his every command, keeping their relationship with Him at the forefront of everything else; I guess you could say it was pretty all-or-nothing.
What this came down to was that their personal relationship with God really impacted their whole lives, as well as their nation’s well-being.

Examples of Individuals Who Demonstrated Love for God

People who just loved God no matter what – like those guys in the Old Testament, man…they kinda set a real high bar for this kind of stuff.
I think of Daniel who wouldn’t worship that statue, no way, even with a furnace looming in front of him – insane courage, I say (Daniel 3).
And you got David who lays it all on the line to God, owning up to mistakes, searching for guidance – that’s really having faith in the tough times (Psalm 51).
Those stories and whatnot remind me that it takes way more than just feeling it to love God; we gotta step up and put in the work too.

New Testament Teachings on Loving God

Photo modified by BibleBreathe.com. Original photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Jesus’ Revolutionary Teaching

I’ve been thinking a lot about what the Bible says on the subject of loving God, and it seems to me that Jesus’ words in Mark 12:30 pretty much say it all.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mark 12:30, KJV).

What gets me is how I often find myself splitting my life up into little sections – allocating a bit of my heart to this, a bit of my soul to that, a bit of my mind and strength to… well, you get the idea.

The Inseparable Link Between Loving God and Loving Others

The thing is, though, Jesus isn’t satisfied to just leave it there. He basically makes it clear that you can’t have one without the other; loving God’s gotta be all wrapped up with loving our neighbors.

“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31, KJV).

That whole way of thinking makes me squirm – it’s a painful reminder that I don’t get to just say I love God and call it a day; how I treat those around me is like… proof or something.

The Empowering Role of the Holy Spirit

Now, of course the big question becomes… how do we even make that happen? You’d think it’d be totally natural, but nope; turns out we need some serious divine intervention.

“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5, KJV).

Lately I’ve come to realize that just trying to gin up all the feelings in the world won’t actually cut it. Rather, I’m stuck needing this Spirit-induced transformation thingy… basically a ‘less-of-me-more-of-Him’ kind of thing, you know? Not exactly sure what that looks like, but I guess I’ll figure it out.

Learning to Love God

Worship: That Thing That Makes My Heart Swell

I’m standing in church, Sunday morning, surrounded by loads of other believers. My heart’s getting all emotional, and whatnot, from the hymns. It reminds me of how important worship is for showing love to God. The Bible’s got that bit where it says,

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24, KJV).

To be honest, worship’s more than just singing, or reciting prayers and that – it’s properly connecting with God on like, a super deep level.

When I do worship and all, it feels kinda like I’m saying, ‘God, you’re the best, and I love you.’ It’s me declaring how devoted I am, and how passionate I am about Him and all.

Doing As I’m Told: Loving God Through Obeying His Commands

But it’s not all about getting those fuzzy feelings during worship – it’s also about following His rules to show we care. Like, Jesus said that one thing,

“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15, KJV).

For me, doing what He says is about committing to our, you know, relationship. It shows that I care enough to do the effort and follow what He wants.

Not gonna lie, there are times I wanna do my own thing instead. But when I do listen to Him, I get this peaceful, easy feeling from knowing I’m living how He wants.

Giving Up Stuff: Loving God By Being Generous

Lastly, showing love to God means giving things up, like, to help and all. There’s that bit the apostle Paul said,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1, KJV).

Giving, for me, is putting what I say into action, kinda. I give things I value, whether that’s money, skills, or whatever, to help God and all.

When I do that, it’s kinda like I’m saying, ‘God, I care about you so much that I’ll give up important stuff to serve you.’ It shows my devotion, shows that I care about us, you know?

The Connection I Feel Between Loving God and Loving Others

How I See Loving God and Loving My Neighbor as Linked

I’ve been thinking a lot about what the Bible says about loving God, and I’ve come to realise it’s all tied up with loving the people around me. This Bible verse always stands out to me:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31, KJV).

It’s pretty clear to me that loving God isn’t something you do in a vacuum; it spills over into how you treat others. When I’m trying my best to love God, that love tends to overflow and I start loving the people around me as much as I love myself – which isn’t always easy.

Why Loving Others Matters if I Want to Show My Love for God

It’s not just a nice idea to love others – the Bible makes it sound like it’s actually crucial if I want to show God I love Him. This bit always gets me:

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20, KJV).

It’s a bit confronting, to be honest. If I’m saying I love God, but I’m not making an effort to love the people around me, I’m basically just paying lip service. I reckon loving others is a pretty concrete way to show God I’m serious about loving Him.

The Ways in Which Loving God Helps Me to Love Others

I’ve found that when I focus on building my relationship with God, I start to see the effects in how I treat other people. Like, when I’m learning to be patient with God’s timing in my life, I become way more patient with others when they’re struggling. When I choose to trust in God’s goodness, it somehow makes me more generous with the people around me. That quote from Mother Teresa always inspires me: “Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” May we be able to carry God’s love to the people around us.

My Journey in Loving God

I been thinking a lot about what the Bible says on loving God and honestly, it’s not all about having some warm fuzzy feelings. It takes work, it takes effort and dedication, and sometimes it’s just plain hard.

Trying to Love God More Deeply

When I wanna grow closer to God, I try to focus on prayer and reading my Bible. I talk to God, I listen for His voice, and I try to learn more about who He is and all that He’s about. There’s this one Bible verse that really hits home:

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5, KJV).

It’s saying that I’m s’posed to love God with my whole self – heart, soul, and all the strength I got. And I’m not perfect, but I’ve found that when I’m prayed up and when I’m reading my Bible everyday, I get that connection with God that I’m looking for.

Showing My Love for God

But, it’s not just some secret devotion that nobody else sees; it’s gotta be more than that. It’s about how I’m living every day, in every relationship, in every situation. When I love God, it’s almost natural to wanna do what He says and live in a way that honours Him. That’s what Jesus said too:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15, KJV).

For me, this looks like being intentional in all my interactions – sometimes it’s just a simple kind word, or sometimes it’s just being there for someone when they need someone to listen. When I show God’s love like this, people see that His love isn’t some far-off, abstract idea.

Dealing with the Tough Stuff

And I’d be lying if I said it’s all easy – there’s times when sin gets in the way, or when I doubt everything. But the Bible reminds me that no matter what, God’s love is way stronger than any of this stuff. Paul said:

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, KJV).

When I’m really struggling, I try to keep my eyes on His love – no matter what I’m going through. I know He’s there with me, I know He’s got a hold of me, and that His love can overcome pretty much anything.

What Do You Think?

Honestly, I’d love to hear from you – have you gone through something similar, or is there a thought nagging at the back of your mind about this whole thing? Just go ahead and leave a comment, and let’s get a convo started on how we think it affects us on a personal level.

I’d super appreciate it if you could give this post a share, and while you’re at it, take a gander at some of the other stuff I’ve got up on BibleBreathe.com – thanks!

Photo modified by BibleBreathe.com. Original photo on Unsplash.

Frequently Asked Questions About What Does The Bible Say About Loving God

What does it mean to love God with all your heart?

To be honest, loving God with all your heart is kinda like He’s the only one in the room – you’re completely focused on Him. Your heart’s like this super valuable real estate, and loving God with all of it means He gets to occupy every inch. I mean, it’s not like it’s a feeling that’s gonna hit you every single day, but it’s more about choosing to put Him first, even when it’s hard.

How can I show my love for God in my daily life?

Personally, I’ve found that it’s all about the little things – you know, like being present in the moment and trying to see God in every person I meet. My way of showing love for God is through serving others, and that can be anything from holding the door open for someone to being a listening ear for a friend. And yeah, I mess up all the time, but I guess that’s just part of the journey, right?

What does the Bible say about loving God more than anything else?

I was reading this passage in Matthew the other day, and Jesus says, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ (Matthew 22:37-38). I reckon what He’s saying is, it’s not about who we love more or less – it’s about the way we love Him. Like, when we love God with all our heart, it’s not taking away from our love for others, but actually adding to it. Does that make sense?