Love is the greatest commandment in the Bible. We are expected to love others just as Christ loved us and also love Jesus. The Bible says we should love God with our hearts, minds, and souls. But how is that possible? This article will give you tips on how to love Jesus with all your heart.
Loving Jesus with all our hearts is a decision to abide in him and do his will daily. However, loving Jesu with all your heart takes consistency and patience. Our affection and love for him become more intense as time passes when we read and meditate upon his word and allow him to reveal himself to us.
So, what does it mean to love Jesus with all your heart? What does the Bible say about loving Jesus? What are some practical ways to love Jesus with all your heart? Is loving Jesus an emotion or a feeling? Can people see that I love Jesus with all my heart? Continue reading to get the answers to these questions and more.
What does it mean to love Jesus with all your heart?
The Bible says in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Jesus later reinforced in the book of Mathew 22:36-17 that this is the greatest commandment, and we have to obey it. However, what does it mean that we have to love him with all our hearts and mind?
To love God with all your heart is to keep his word, obey it, and do the will of God. Loving Jesus means that we are not of the world, and hence sin should not be a part of us. Jesus himself says that all those who claim to love him must obey God’s will. David also said in the book of Psalms that he had hidden the word of God in his heart so that he could never sin against him.
Therefore, loving God with all our hearts and minds requires us to walk as Jesus did. We have to glorify Jesus and obey his will in all we do. And though this might be hard because of the desires of our flesh and temptations that we face daily as humans, we should not forget that Jesus is the one who gives us the strength to obey his word and not us.
Your affection and love for Jesus will grow more as time goes by. Reading his word regularly, meditating upon it, talking to him in prayer, and understanding the depth of the love he showed us when we were still sinners is key to helping us love him with all our hearts.
What does the Bible say about loving Jesus?
First, loving Jesus with our hearts requires us to know him and have knowledge about him by reading his word. The scripture notes that loving him is praising and worshipping him (Luke 4:8). If you are worried that you do not know how to love Jesus correctly, do not worry because the scripture guides you, and also, the Holy Spirit is our helper who intercedes for us. Some examples of how to worship Jesus are found in Psalms 24, 8, 67, 19, 117, 150, and 8.
Furthermore, the scripture indicates that loving Jesus is to make him our priority. Acts 13:22 says, “And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, I have found in David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.” Therefore, loving Jesus is to put him above all other beings and things.
Three practical ways to love Jesus with all your heart?
Actively reading the Bible.
The word of God is active and able to transform and renew our minds. Therefore, by reading it, we learn of Jesus and why it is important to love him. Actively reading is not just going through the Bible but listening and understanding the word of God. It is meditating upon the word of God and obeying his word.
Fasting and praying
Fasting and praying will allow you to focus on Jesus and put him as a priority in your life. It allows you to talk to God about your fears, present your requests to him, and allow him to guide you and reveal himself to you. That will help you develop an intimate and sincere relationship with him.
Submit wholly and fully to Jesus
Loving Jesus Christ is to let him lead in every decision you make. That means you have to empty every flesh desire in you and let him be the Lord of your life. This will allow you to experience his manifest love and lead you to love him.
Is loving Jesus an emotion, a feeling, or a decision?
Loving Jesus is a decision and commitment we choose to make every day. The greatest commandment of all time is recorded in the gospels of Mark 12:30, Mathew 22:37, and Luke 10:27. It reads, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” The scripture is full of commands that we should love God and also love others. Joshua 23:11 tells us to love our God. Therefore, it is a command and, therefore, a decision that we have to make daily to love Jesus and obey his word.
However, we cannot dismiss that love is often accompanied by emotions and feelings, but that should not be the basis of love. When we choose to love Jesus, we have to do it regardless of how we are feeling. Furthermore, though the decision to love Jesus might not be an easy one sometimes, the word of God encourages us when we feel like we do not love him. The book of 1st John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” Knowing Christ loves your, and loved you even before you chose to love him, should help you make the decision to love him daily.
Can people see that I love Jesus with all my heart?
People can see you love Jesus with all your heart through your actions and words of your mouth. Jesus teaches in the New Testament that out of the abundance of your heart, the mouth speaketh. Therefore, if you love Jesus with all your heart, your mouth and actions will reflect so. You will move with forgiveness, love, and humility, just like Jesus did.
Furthermore, Paul says in the book of 2nd Corinthians 3:2-3 that we are letters; therefore, others will read our actions. “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”
References
What does it mean to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Is loving God an emotion, a feeling, or a decision?
What does it mean to love God with all your heart?
What does it mean to love God?
What does the Bible say about how to love God?
Five ways to love God will all your mind and heart.
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
