Loving Our God in the Bible

[ChristIsTheWay]

Matthew 22:36-37: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Matthew 10:37: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

I have been wondering about these verses. How are to understand “love” in regards to these texts. Does it mean a warm fuzzy feeling or actions or something else? What does placing God before all mean? Thanks.

 

[bubble_lady]

Love in the scriptural sense means a lot more than “fuzzy” feelings. True love means self sacrifice in immitation of Jesus who loved us to the point of dying a cruel death for our sakes. Another scripture tells us that to follow Jesus we must deny ourselves daily, take up our crosses, and follow Him; this is what it means to love God. Loving our neighbor means placing the needs of others before our own and serving others for God’s sake.

To love God before all is easier to explain by anecdote: The 3rd commandment tells us to keep the sabbath day holy. Yet, people skip Mass to go to sporting events on Sunday. People who do this are putting the sporting events before God. So, to love God above all others means to do what ever He wants and placing all of God’s promptings before others, self, and things.

 

[fhansen]

Matthew 22:36-37: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Matthew 10:37: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

I have been wondering about these verses. How are to understand “love” in regards to these texts. Does it mean a warm fuzzy feeling or actions or something else? What does placing God before all mean? Thanks.

Love of God is a theological virtue, meaning we can’t force it upon ourselves-it is a gift of God-meaning it comes by grace. At the same time it’s a moral imperative to love God, because it’s right and just to place the ultimate good, which is God, above all else. So this is a gift we can recognize our need for, and pray, seek, and strive for, like any other gift. And He’ll help it grow.

 

[jochoa]

I know this is topic is a little older, however I would like to share some personal understandings of the Greatest Commandments.

The Purpose of the Commandments
To provide the fundamental principles of how to achieve the greatest peace, happiness, and energy as an individual and/or society, given interactive free-willed beings.

God’s Purpose for Helping Us
God wants others to share in the experience of the greatest peace, happiness, and energy.

What is Love? 1 Corinthians 13:4
Gracefully stated, Love is patience and kindness. Everything else, (forgiveness, prayer, admonition, repentance, communion, respect, humility, honesty, affection, baptism, faith, hope, charity, and the complete lack of envy, resentment, arrogance, etc.) stems from patience and kindness.

Regarding Love God, neighbors, and self
God, neighbors, and the self are not only the recipients of patience and kindness, but also objects of motivation. Patience, kindness, and motivation are the driving forces of, respectively, peace, happiness, and energy.

Regarding Your heart, mind, strength and soul
These aspects of being represent, respectively, parts of the body, various thoughts, various interactions, and the essence of self. Each aspect of being is distinct and separate, yet necessary to complete the being. Every part of the body, instance of thought, and instance of interaction is exactly of the essence of self. Humans share God’s Image and likeness, therefore, The Father is the thoughts, Jesus Christ is the body, The Holy Spirit is the interactions, and God is the essence of the Holy Trinity.

Regarding Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength
Every thought and interaction of yours and every part of your body and essence should be patient and kind and motivated for God.

Regarding Love God with everything, all the time
The only object of motivation that is inexhaustible in and of itself is God. The being that is fully considerate of peace, happiness, and energy for the self, others, and itself is of God. Therefore, if you are always motivated for something inexhaustible, thinking about patience and kindness, and interacting with patience and kindness, your heart will have an inexhaustible driving force for energy, your mind will become fully considerate of peace, happiness, and energy for yourself, others, and God, and your strength will also spread peace, happiness, and energy to others.

Regarding Always love God with everything…then, love all others
To love God first, while loving all others second, one should be motivated for God while being patient and kind towards others.

Evaluating personal practice of the Commandments
If you are experiencing a loss or yearn for peace, happiness, or energy, within your self or relationships, answer the following: “How, Where(strength, mind, and/or heart), and/or Why (what is my motivation) am I not being patient, kind, and/or motivated for God?”