Loving God

[TheInquisitor]

I have a question that’s been bugging me. It has to deal with how to love God.

You see, I know my reasoning at the moment for choosing the Catholic church and God. I realize that I have a need for God and the true church.

My quandary is in the fact that I’m still doing it for me. My end goal is still happiness for myself. Even if that means spending my time in self denial and glorifying God instead of me, it brings me happiness.

The reason I question is because a lot of Catholic prayers such as the perfect act of contrition include repenting because not only do we fear the loss of heaven but because we are sad of offending God even more.

I feel like a rambled and never made a point. So my question is. What is the correct attitude towards loving God? Are we seeking the glory of God so that in return he gives us happiness or do we seek God’s glory because we are supposed to have such a love for him that we would do anything for him no matter what? How would I cultivate such an eternal self-sacrificing sort of love?

 

[Whadyamean]

Do you have children? If you do, would you expect them to live in a state of self mortification aimed at making you happy as a parent? Or would the growth of your children, including their mistakes as they learned, endear them to you? And wouldn’t you love them no matter what? Even if they did wrong? Of course you would. Is nor God’s Love greater even than a parent’s? them maybe you are being a bit too scrupulous and might consider that your very effort at improving yourself, even being happy for and as yourself, makes God happy if that wording even applies. Think of yourself as a self-pruning plant that gives lovely fruit and fragrance through service and lets the unused wasteful parts die off by themselves from lack of attention. You grow into what you give your attention to. So if you pay attention to Love and service, including to the maintenance of your own well being so you can act efficiently, how can that do less than “please” God?

 

[rainbow1]

I have a question that’s been bugging me. It has to deal with how to love God.

You see, I know my reasoning at the moment for choosing the Catholic church and God. I realize that I have a need for God and the true church.

My quandary is in the fact that I’m still doing it for me. My end goal is still happiness for myself. Even if that means spending my time in self denial and glorifying God instead of me, it brings me happiness.

The reason I question is because a lot of Catholic prayers such as the perfect act of contrition include repenting because not only do we fear the loss of heaven but because we are sad of offending God even more.

I feel like a rambled and never made a point. So my question is. What is the correct attitude towards loving God? Are we seeking the glory of God so that in return he gives us happiness or do we seek God’s glory because we are supposed to have such a love for him that we would do anything for him no matter what? How would I cultivate such an eternal self-sacrificing sort of love?

I think a good way to “fall in love” with God is to spend alot of quiet time with him in prayer…more of a prayer of the quiet where you just sit in His Presence and spend time with Him. If you have a chapel for adoration nearby, this is an awesome way to begin. After you develope the practice, you can stop regularly throughout the day, no matter where you are, and just spend precious moments with our Lord…blessings!

 

[JackVk]

God wants you happy! He does not want you to be a joyless, prudish, grouchy Pharisee. Remember He is your Father, and fathers want their kids to be happy. He asks for your all, but He doesn’t always take everything you have. All joy comes from Him.

If God doesn’t give you something you want, it’s because He has something better for you. The popular Protestant pastor Rob Bell put it nicely: his son wanted him to buy him a rubber ball on an elastic string that comes back to you when you throw it. But Rob said “no”, because he knew his little boy would hurt himself if he had this toy. So he took him across the street to a toy store where he let his son pick out a kickball. After that, his son was very happy.

Do you see the analogy? For more, read Father James Martin’s book “Between Heaven and Mirth”. It’s about how there are no unhappy saints.

 

[Trishie]

Hi, the prayer and all you do regarding God won’t necessarily* always *give you joy as time goes on, and then the challenge of genuine love for God at cost to your self satisfaction, will kick in. You will find that you need to choose to persevere at such times of dryness if they occur. This continuing devotion, even without consolation, will be a greater reality check of your love for God.

If you read Matthew 25 verses 31-46 it is clear that one part of what loving God means, is practical kindness to others, which Jesus shows, is understood by God as being practical kindness to Him. And that often does cost. Putting others’ needs before ourselves.

If you feel satisfaction for even that…well you’re human!
It’s incredibly difficult for us to be wholly unselfish! We have only our own consciousness, not anyone else’s no matter how empathetic we are.

 

[Trishie]

God, love and glorify Yourself in us

God, how can I fulfil Your commandments to love others and to love and worship God above all?

Unlike holy souls who effuse great joy and praise, my attempts to love and worship You seem very poor. I am child of a scientific and empirical era in a world of physical realities and challenges. I desire faith in Your loving action in temporal affairs even where it is hidden. I desire to praise and love in whatever way You desire, however little understanding I have of Your ways and truth.

It seems to me that loving You is about choices. Jesus witnessed that our salvation depends upon love and service of God in other persons. He proclaimed that, “Whatever you do for even the least of my little ones, you do for Me” who am God. Therefore, we love and worship You in our care of others.

You command that we love others enough to strive even unto death of something of ourselves for the sake of their welfare, as Jesus did. I ask You to love others wholeheartedly in my thoughts, prayers, my words and actions. Please bring about blessings for them even in my worst failures to witness Your love. Please develop my trust in Your loving action in temporal affairs even where it remains hidden.

We glorify You in the Eucharist, that summit of worship, petition, and thanksgiving, God’s own offering and fulfilment through Son and Spirit, with the whole Body of Christ. We worship You in the Eucharist as individuals, yet as brothers and sisters of the community. Let me, let us, thus love and worship You in communion with each other.

Blessed be Jesus, who gives us redemption and Eucharist. Blessed be the Spirit who channels His Gift, and gives us creative ways to praise and love God. Blessed be God who is able to give Yourself the honour and praise that we desire to give You.

God alone can appreciate the depths of God, therefore love and delight Yourself in us so that we truly love You. I ask that whatever my activity or state of mind, You will love and adore Yourself in me, our God. Delight Yourself within me in every moment of my existence. This is possible to You for whom “nothing is impossible.” [Genesis 8:14]

 

[fhansen]

I have a question that’s been bugging me. It has to deal with how to love God.

You see, I know my reasoning at the moment for choosing the Catholic church and God. I realize that I have a need for God and the true church.

My quandary is in the fact that I’m still doing it for me. My end goal is still happiness for myself. Even if that means spending my time in self denial and glorifying God instead of me, it brings me happiness.

The reason I question is because a lot of Catholic prayers such as the perfect act of contrition include repenting because not only do we fear the loss of heaven but because we are sad of offending God even more.

I feel like a rambled and never made a point. So my question is. What is the correct attitude towards loving God? Are we seeking the glory of God so that in return he gives us happiness or do we seek God’s glory because we are supposed to have such a love for him that we would do anything for him no matter what? How would I cultivate such an eternal self-sacrificing sort of love?

Here’s the way St Basil put it:
**If we turn away from evil out of fear of punishment, we are in the position of slaves. If we pursue the enticement of wages, . . . we resemble mercenaries. Finally if we obey for the sake of the good itself and out of love for him who commands . . . we are in the position of children. **

That’s the goal-love of God and neighbor constitutes man’s* justice*, which is why the greatest commandments are what they are. And we can’t do it without God’s help-we can pray for this, in fact. And BTW, unfulfilled happiness is supposed to be part of our motivation-to be in the presence of God is to know indescribable, ineffable happiness-happiness is* His* natural state and what He’s always wanted for man-man just forfeited it when he went his own way, rebelling against God, looking for fulfillment everywhere else. You can do a search in the Catechism index under “happiness” and “beatitude” here: scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

 

[TheInquisitor]

Here’s the way St Basil put it:
**If we turn away from evil out of fear of punishment, we are in the position of slaves. If we pursue the enticement of wages, . . . we resemble mercenaries. Finally if we obey for the sake of the good itself and out of love for him who commands . . . we are in the position of children. **

I guess my problem is with this quote. I feel like I’m going at it like a mercenary. Not like a child. I go at this with a goal. Even if I enjoy the way, I’m trying to get my “wages” so to speak. I just want to know how I can avoid that kind of attitude and have the right one.

Thanks for the replies everyone It gives me lot’s to think about.

 

[Nita]

I guess my problem is with this quote. I feel like I’m going at it like a mercenary. Not like a child. I go at this with a goal. Even if I enjoy the way, I’m trying to get my “wages” so to speak. I just want to know how I can avoid that kind of attitude and have the right one.

Thanks for the replies everyone It gives me lot’s to think about.

If that is where you are right now, then that’s where you begin.
***1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. …***You show your love by trying to keep His commandments - because He is God and commanded it. Other motivations on your part may not be perfect - eg. fear of hell or out of a desire for “wages” - but they are they are where many of us start.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

As you continue to practice the faith, your love of God will grow and mature, until it surpasses love for yourself.

 

[TheInquisitor]

If that is where you are right now, then that’s where you begin.
***1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. …***You show your love by trying to keep His commandments - because He is God and commanded it. Other motivations on your part may not be perfect - eg. fear of hell or out of a desire for “wages” - but they are they are where many of us start.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

As you continue to practice the faith, your love of God will grow and mature, until it surpasses love for yourself.

Wow, thank you. It feels like you have it all sometimes, but then you realize you’re just an infant. I’ll be working on this. I feel like I’m on the road to a good fresh start (Converting to Catholicism and all).

Thanks everyone, I really don’t know where I would be without this message board haha.

Have a wonderful day.

 

[Chesster]

Go to this web page and search for The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ by St. Alphonsus Liguori and download the pdf file.

It’s a great read!