Loving GOD - Melanie

Talk 5

Loving God – The Christian Ideal

But why should we love God?But why should we love God?

Question?

Why should we love God?Why should we love God?

Because God is our Creator, our Because God is our Creator, our Provider, our Savior, our Protector, Provider, our Savior, our Protector, our Everything Omnipotent. our Everything Omnipotent.

Why should we love God?Why should we love God?

Because He loves us very much.Because He loves us very much.

Because He continuously lavishes us Because He continuously lavishes us with innumerable blessings and with innumerable blessings and graces…graces…

Loving God – the Christian Ideal

And God wants to make LOVING And God wants to make LOVING HIM as our HIGHEST IDEAL.HIM as our HIGHEST IDEAL.

Loving Him with all our hearts, Loving Him with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our with all our souls, with all our minds and with all our strengths, minds and with all our strengths, and loving our neighbors as and loving our neighbors as ourselves. This is the total ourselves. This is the total Commandment for His Love.Commandment for His Love.


What it meansWhat it means……

To Love God with all our heartTo Love God with all our heart

What it means…What it means…To Love God with all our heartTo Love God with all our heart

First, Putting God first in our lives.First, Putting God first in our lives.

Deut. 26: 2-11. “I shall bring you the first fruits of the products of the Deut. 26: 2-11. “I shall bring you the first fruits of the products of the soil which You, Oh Lord have given me…”soil which You, Oh Lord have given me…”

To Love God with all our heartsTo Love God with all our hearts

What it means…..What it means…..To Love God with all our heartTo Love God with all our heart

Second… We must be obedient.Second… We must be obedient.

• Jn 14:15, “...If you love me, you will Jn 14:15, “...If you love me, you will obey my commandments…” obey my commandments…”


And what it means…And what it means…To Love God with all our heartsTo Love God with all our hearts

Third…We must have that Burning Desire to Third…We must have that Burning Desire to Develop a Personal Relationship with God Develop a Personal Relationship with God Himself, His Son and the Holy Spirit.Himself, His Son and the Holy Spirit.

1 Cor 3:16 ‘1 Cor 3:16 ‘Do you not know that you are the Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?’ dwells in you?’

1 Cor 6:19 ‘1 Cor 6:19 ‘Or do you not know that your Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?in you? ’ ’



What it means…What it means…

To Love God with all our hearts To Love God with all our hearts and mindsand minds

To Love God with all our mindTo Love God with all our mind

What it means…What it means…To Love God with all our hearts and mindsTo Love God with all our hearts and minds

Always keep your heart and mind clean and holy...Always keep your heart and mind clean and holy...

1. Guard your heart and mind with all diligence.1. Guard your heart and mind with all diligence.


What it means…What it means…To Love God with all our mindTo Love God with all our mind

2. 2. Use your heart and mind according to Use your heart and mind according to God’s truth and not according to the God’s truth and not according to the immodest or flashy ways of the world.immodest or flashy ways of the world.


What it means…What it means…To Love God with all our mindTo Love God with all our mind

3. Let your heart and mind be 3. Let your heart and mind be preoccupied with things of preoccupied with things of God. Use your heart and mind God. Use your heart and mind actively for God’s sole purpose actively for God’s sole purpose which is all about Love. which is all about Love.


What it means…

To Love God with All Our StrengthTo Love God with All Our Strength

What it means… What it means… To Love God with all our strengthTo Love God with all our strength

1 John 3:18… Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

We have to love God with our resources, our abilities and our time. To fully love Him with what we find our HANDS to do, our EYES to see, our EARS to hear, our FEET to go and our MOUTHS to speak.


1. Love Him with what we find our hands to do.1. Love Him with what we find our hands to do.

We are able to serve the Lord diligently being We are able to serve the Lord diligently being His hands extended in our world by giving a cup His hands extended in our world by giving a cup of cold water to those in need. Feeding the poor. of cold water to those in need. Feeding the poor. Laying hands on the sick. Lifting our hands in Laying hands on the sick. Lifting our hands in worship. Playing an instrument. Writing an worship. Playing an instrument. Writing an article. Working with excellence. The list can go article. Working with excellence. The list can go on and on. Our hands can serve a major purpose on and on. Our hands can serve a major purpose in loving God with all our strengths.in loving God with all our strengths.


2. Love Him with our eyes and what we see2. Love Him with our eyes and what we see

The eyes are the gateway to the heart. We are The eyes are the gateway to the heart. We are made to gaze on God’s beauty (Ps. 27:4), We made to gaze on God’s beauty (Ps. 27:4), We are made to fix our eyes on Jesus the author are made to fix our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2). and finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:2).

Our eyes come in contact with so much every Our eyes come in contact with so much every day and we should see things the way it day and we should see things the way it pleases God. In that way, we become what we pleases God. In that way, we become what we behold.behold.

What it means…What it means…To Love God with all our strengthTo Love God with all our strength

Let us imitate Mother Teresa, Let us imitate Mother Teresa, the lady who sees Christ in every the lady who sees Christ in every person she encounters. person she encounters.

She brought to the world a great She brought to the world a great and living lesson in joyful and and living lesson in joyful and selfless love.selfless love.


3. Love God with our ears to hear.3. Love God with our ears to hear.

Jesus said many times, “if anyone has ears to Jesus said many times, “if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” hear, let him hear.”

What Jesus is saying is, listen to be What Jesus is saying is, listen to be transformed. Listen to be changed. When we transformed. Listen to be changed. When we gain access to God’s voice we are loving Him gain access to God’s voice we are loving Him well. We need to listen to others share their well. We need to listen to others share their story, listen to their thoughts and hear their story, listen to their thoughts and hear their pain. But we have to walk away from gossip, pain. But we have to walk away from gossip, slander, backbiting and negative discussions.slander, backbiting and negative discussions.


3. Love God with our feet to go.3. Love God with our feet to go.

Where our feet take us on the journey in life says Where our feet take us on the journey in life says a lot about how we love the Lord. Jesus laid it a lot about how we love the Lord. Jesus laid it out when he said to out when he said to “go and make “go and make disciples”(Matt. 28:19). disciples”(Matt. 28:19).

The great commission is all about going. Let our The great commission is all about going. Let our feet be led by the Spirit into amazing places and feet be led by the Spirit into amazing places and divine opportunities. When we go and serve, go divine opportunities. When we go and serve, go to church, go to a friend in need, go the extra to church, go to a friend in need, go the extra mile, go make a difference, we are loving God mile, go make a difference, we are loving God with all our strength. with all our strength.


3. Love God with our mouth to speak.3. Love God with our mouth to speak.

May the words we say bring glory to the Lord. May the words we say bring glory to the Lord. When we edify, encourage, comfort, honor, When we edify, encourage, comfort, honor, support and bring life (support and bring life (Prov. 18:21Prov. 18:21) to others ) to others we create access for them to discover God’s we create access for them to discover God’s kindness. We get to love Him by declaring kindness. We get to love Him by declaring praise and worship to the Lord. Also, when praise and worship to the Lord. Also, when we boldly share our faith with others (we boldly share our faith with others (Eph. Eph. 6:196:19) and bring them into a relationship ) and bring them into a relationship with, and when we instruct, coach and with, and when we instruct, coach and counsel others, it all counts in loving the counsel others, it all counts in loving the Lord with all our strength. Lord with all our strength.

Above all, JESUS is our Model in Loving God…Above all, JESUS is our Model in Loving God…

Jesus dedicated His life to Jesus dedicated His life to accomplish His mission.accomplish His mission.

Jesus spread the good wordJesus spread the good word and His Father’s love.and His Father’s love.

And He was obedient to And He was obedient to sacrifice Himself unto sacrifice Himself unto death to save mankind.death to save mankind.

Spiritual

Loving GOD - Melanie