How to Love God

John 14:21. “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”

We have been talking about how God loves us. He gives us a full life. He saves us from the consequences of our sin – Jesus laid down his life for you and for me. He gives us spiritual gifts and talents that give meaning and joy to our lives.

So how are we to love God? Like a good parent, God simply enjoys the company of his children. We don’t need to come with a big smile and clean clothes. We can come as we are – with burdens and junk. He wants to hear about what we are going through, and he wants to comfort us. He also wants us to appreciate him, which is what praise and worship are all about. We can sing a song to him or recount his wonderful attributes.

Jesus also says that we love him by being obedient. Now this sounds a lot like the long list of dos and don’ts that we resist. But it’s so different than that. God’s commands are truly for our own good. We can all admit to taking things into our own hands and experiencing a bad result. Jesus knows what is best for us. He knows that avoiding certain things will save us from pain. He knows that doing certain things will bring us joy. So being obedient doesn’t mean abiding by someone else’s arbitrary rules. It is rather a prescription for a good life, full of love, hope, meaning and peace.