I agree, I think it means not “loving” God for selfish reasons, like what he can do to and for us (because that would not be real love in the first place). It is akin for loving Truth, Goodness and Beauty simply because they are good and high and noble concepts.
Rock bottom, you love God and do what He wants, whether or not you get a reward out of it.
Like Job, for instance.
One of the Saints said when she learned that nobody praises or loves God in Hell, she almost wished she could go there, because she would still love Him and He would have one person singing His praises in that place.
(It May have been St Therese of Lisieux)
The point is that we are most Christ-like, most bonded to Him; most reperesentative of Him when we suffer. Our corrupt age decries any and alll suffering, when we should embrace it. It is just that simple.
That does not mean that we allow situations to fester, or do not seek medical help. The Lord gave us the virtue of prudence in dealing with life’s challenges and created the physician and pharmacist as well, for our good. See Sirach, chapter 38.
Redemptive suffering is a complicated doctrine and only peripherally related to the idea of “loving God for himself”. I can love God every day whether or not I am experiencing suffering that day.
I would suggest maybe the “suffering” discussion is a little off topic to the OP’s question.
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