As Christians we tend to be doers. We focus on good deeds, helping others, creating ministries, etc.
But sometimes we get too focused on the ‘works’ that we lose sight of the purpose.
Loving God is supposed to be our first and foremost priority. All of our actions are supposed to flow out of our love for Him!
How do you show your love for God?
Gary Chapman, the author of the Five Love Languages, describes that there are five ways we can show love to others. We can use that model to give examples of loving God. And putting Him first before all other people and things.
Quality time – Are you giving God your quality time? Or does He get your leftovers? Is your time with God obligatory and forced or do you enjoy sharing your day with Him?
Words of Affirmation – When you are praying are you thanking God for all that He is? Or are you only focusing on what you want Him to do for you? God wants us to desire, pursue, and praise Him.
Acts of Service – Do you do things to glorify God’s kingdom? Are your actions out of love and adoration for our Heavenly Father? Or because you feel you have to?
Gifts – Do you freely give of your money, items, and time from a place of love and joy? Or do you give from a place of obligation and resentment?
Physical Touch – Do you take the time to yield and feel the experience of the Holy Spirit within you? Do you feel His presence throughout your day? Does your physical touch to others flow out of love for our Lord?
Loving God is easy when He is our focus and center. But we can be easily led astray if we don’t make Him a priority in our day.
Take the time to read the below bible scriptures and truly focus on what they are saying to you. Some passages may touch you differently than others. Writing down the verses in your own hand is helpful for some individuals. Possibly looking up the verses in your own bible may be beneficial. I use a NIV bible translation. Or reading them over and over to commit to memory. Whatever method works best for you to experience God’s words and feel closer to Him.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Joshua 22:5
But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
John 14:23-24
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
1 Kings 8:61
And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
1 Chronicles 28:9
“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
I pray that this post encourages you on your journey to loving God in all that you do.
God bless!
Melissa
All we really need to know if we want to make our relationships strong and keep it forever.
Thanks for this. Merry Christmas!
So very true. Thank you for stopping by and commenting! God bless!
I love that book! I have found I can pay more attention to how to love my husband and the people around me when I learn what their love languages are.
It is such a great book. And it was only recently that I thought to utilize it as a way to ensure I was loving God in as many aspects as possible. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
I’ve never read that book, but I’ve heard it a good. Loving God is the most important thing we can do. Thanks for bringing us back to that and making us reflect on the most important this morning.
It is the most important thing we can do. And often people either don’t know how to love God or don’t realize their ability to love God more. Thank you for reading and commenting! God bless!
Hi Melissa! I love this book! God used it to show me that others may be loving me the best they can even when it didn’t look the way I thought it should. My Pastor just did a teaching on how we can give even when we don’t love, but its impossible to love without giving. I want to remember my purpose and my motives. Thank you for this awesome post!!
Thank you Donna. That sounds like a great teaching series. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts and kind words! God bless!
Love the whole series of 5 Love Languages books! They’ve helped me love others well. I love your twist as a way of loving God well!
The books are great! I have recommended them many times. Thank you for stopping by and commenting! God bless!
What a wonderful reminder – thank you so much! And using the five love languages is brilliant! (It’s a resource my hubby and I recommend regularly – regardless!)
Thank you for your kind words. The books are great. I recommend them often as well. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
Deut.6:4-7 has been my focus for the past three months. I have determined to serve God with a loving heart and not as an obligation.
This serves as an emphasis.
Thank you for sharing your heart Sarah. This has my desire as well. I want to serve God willingly and with a joyous heart and be used in whatever manner His has chosen. Thank you again for stopping by. God bless!
I think using the five love languages in our relationship with God is a profound concept. I believe it can also help us grow in the practice of loving others.
We take time figuring out all of the ways to love our spouse, our children and people around us but I’m not sure we always put the same level of thought and effort into showing our love to God. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
This book was so helpful in my marriage. My love language is different from my husband’s so I could understand him better!
I recommend this book a lot to the couples I work with. It’s an easy read and easy to implement. We then move on from there if necessary. I’m glad the book was beneficial for you! God bless!
These are my favorite reading of the expressions of love. Great reminder as the year ends.
I agree. Being mindful and focused on loving God is a positive way to start a new year. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. God bless!