Loving God Most: The Foundation of Loving Others

If We Love God Most, We Will Love Others Best

As a Christian, it can be challenging to love others as we love ourselves. But what if we told you that the key to loving others is to love God most? When we love God most, we will love others best. In this article, we will explore why loving God most is the foundation of loving others, how it affects our relationships, and practical ways to increase our love for God.

The Foundation of Loving Others

Jesus Christ said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. He also said that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:29-31). The two commandments are intertwined, and one cannot exist without the other.

When we love God most, we put Him first in our lives. We prioritize Him above everything else, including our relationships. This may seem counterintuitive, but when we love God most, we are better equipped to love others.

Think of it this way: when we fill our hearts with God's love, it overflows into our relationships. We cannot give what we do not have. If we do not love God first, our love for others will be limited and conditional. But when we love God most, we are filled with His unconditional love, and we can love others unconditionally.

The Effects of Loving God Most on Our Relationships

When we love God most, our relationships change. We view others through the lens of God's love and see them as valuable, unique, and worthy of love. We also recognize that we are not perfect, and we extend grace and forgiveness to others as God has done for us.

On the other hand, when we prioritize relationships over God, we may become needy, clingy, or codependent. We may look to others to fill a void in our lives that only God can fill. We may also evaluate our worth based on how others perceive us, which can lead to insecurity and anxiety.

When we love God most, we are free to love others without expecting anything in return. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We do not love to receive love, but because we already have it in abundance from God.

Practical Ways to Increase Our Love for God

Loving God most is easier said than done. It requires intentionality, discipline, and a desire to know Him more. Here are some practical ways to increase our love for God:

1. Spend time with Him.

Just as we cannot build a relationship with someone we never talk to, we cannot grow in our love for God if we do not spend time with Him. This means reading His Word, praying, and meditating on His truth. It also means being still and listening for His voice.

Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God." When we take time to be still in God's presence, we can experience His love in a deeper way.

2. Worship Him.

Worship is a powerful way to express our love for God. When we worship, we focus on His character, His goodness, and His love for us. We can worship through singing, playing an instrument, dancing, or even painting. The key is to focus our hearts and minds on God and give Him the glory He deserves.

Psalm 29:2 says, "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness."

3. Obey Him.

Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Obeying God is not a way to earn His love, but a way to show our love for Him. When we obey God, we demonstrate that we trust Him and believe that His ways are best.

James 1:22 says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

4. Serve Him.

When we serve others, we are serving God. Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40). When we serve others, we demonstrate our love for God and our willingness to put others' needs before our own.

Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Conclusion

When we love God most, we will love others best. Loving God most is the foundation of loving others because it fills us with His unconditional love and enables us to love others unconditionally. When we love God most, our relationships change, and we see others through the lens of His love. We are free to love others without expecting anything in return and can extend grace and forgiveness as God has done for us.

Practically, we can increase our love for God by spending time with Him, worshiping Him, obeying Him, and serving Him. These actions demonstrate our love for God and help us grow in our relationship with Him.

As we strive to love God most, let us remember the words of 1 John 4:19: "We love because he first loved us." When we love God first, we can love others with His love and make a difference in the world.