Good deeds
Examples of love for God can also be a situation when we do not want to upset the people we love. Therefore, we try to do everything to please them. It’s the same with the Lord – you need to feel fear, reverence and love for him. Sinful actions and thoughts, non-observance of the commandments are those deeds that can offend the Creator.
We can also put the happiness of the people we love above our own benefits. Likewise, for the glory of God, it is important to act and think in such a way as not to upset the Creator. Then people will be able to enjoy the Kingdom of Good.
Slave, mercenary, son
There are three degrees of submission to God: a slave, submitting to Him out of fear of punishment; a mercenary who works for pay; and a son who is guided by love for the Father. The state of a slave is a state of fear of punishment, fulfilling the commandments only out of fear of eternal torment. The Apostle John the Theologian writes: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because in fear there is torment. He who fears is not perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). If a slave has imperfect love, then a mercenary is one who certainly wants to receive a reward for every good deed. The mercenary has a greater degree of freedom, but he is guided by pure calculation, which displaces love. Son is undoubtedly the perfect and most beneficial degree for a person, since in this degree there is freedom of love. Saint Gregory the Theologian writes: “I know three degrees in those who are saved: slavery, mercenary and sonship. If you are a slave, then be afraid of beatings. If you are a mercenary, keep one thing in mind - get it. If you are higher than a slave and a hireling, even a son, be ashamed of God as a father, do good, because it is good to obey your father. Even if you didn’t expect to receive anything, pleasing your father is a reward in itself. May we not find ourselves neglecting this!”
Each person, looking into the depths of his soul, can accurately determine the degree to which he arrives. Having done this, he will understand what to do to fulfill the covenant of Christ: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, let you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). And through fulfilling this commandment he will love God.
The highest expression of love
How, besides keeping the commandments, can one say: “I love you, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God?” There is a more difficult path, but not everyone can do it. Martyrdom is the highest degree of love for God. There are known people who sacrificed themselves in the name of this love. They are canonized and considered the chosen ones.
If a person is able to truly love the Lord, he is able to know the joys of Heaven on Earth.
True love
One of the holy martyrs was the Monk Macrona. This girl believed in the Creator with all her soul. When the king wanted to take possession of her by force, she was not afraid to refuse him, entrusting herself to the Lord. She said: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, I’d rather go to the bottom of the sea, but not break your commandments!” The ruler who heard this cut off the girl’s head and drowned her in the sea. But Macron’s sacrifice did not go unnoticed. The girl was canonized as a holy martyr. Now her feat is an example of true faith in the Lord.
Features of relationships with neighbors
The sermon on love for God and neighbor contains tips that will help you be closer to the Creator. In order to show love for the Lord, you must:
- Be modest and friendly, quiet and peaceful. This advice was given by St. Seraphim of Sarov.
- In relationships between people there must be trust and a desire to do good for them.
- Demonstration of one's superiority in front of others is not encouraged.
- A compliant attitude towards people makes a person closer to the Creator.
- The shortcomings of your neighbor should not be criticized or emphasized.
- Purity of thoughts regarding other people is important.
- Patiently enduring grievances without showing your true feelings will help show love for the Creator.
- As does praying for other people, and supporting those who are grieving with kind words.
- Openly and calmly expressing complaints to people without the desire to offend them.
- Providing assistance delicately so that it does not look like a favor.
If you analyze the listed points, you can come to the conclusion that there are no difficulties in their implementation. It is enough to stock up on a good mood and desire.
It is also important to remember that doing small acts of virtue is much more beneficial than large acts that can only make things worse. This advice is also found in the Bible.
Examples of love
What it means to love God can be learned from the example of the saying of Abba Dorotheus. He compares this feeling to a large circle, the center of which is the Creator. People will be points along the radius of this circle. Then you can trace the relationship between love for the Creator and your neighbors. As the radius points approach the center, they become closer to each other. Getting closer to God at the same time means getting closer to people. Despite the inaccessibility of God's dwelling place for ordinary people, each of us should feel his presence. It is important for us to have God in our souls.
Another specific example would be the feeling when we miss loved ones if we are forced to be far away from them. Therefore, every time you find an opportunity to talk with the Almighty, you must joyfully use it. For a person who loves God to communicate with his creator, it is not necessary to create special conditions or go to church. This can be done while working or relaxing, at home or on the road. When visiting church, the power of such conversion increases. Since the Bible states that if two or more people gather to pray, the Almighty will be there. With constant turning to God, a person turns into a living temple and receives a special relationship from the Creator.
Ways to show love for God
There are many of them. The Bible says, “Love God with all your heart.” How can you show your feelings to the Creator? To manifest and prove his relationship to the Creator, a person would like to see an object of love. It is quite difficult to convey your feelings to someone who is hidden from our eyes. It is also difficult to determine how real our feelings for God are.
It is believed that in order to convey love for the Creator, observing the Commandments is enough. This is enough, but how difficult it is to follow such requirements. The Bible indicates that it is knowledge of the commandments that influences the manifestation of one’s attitude towards the Lord. Accordingly, if one of the people does not try to keep the commandments, he is far from being able to love the Creator. Jesus says this too.
Special love
Moreover, it is important to remember the peculiarities of relationships with the Lord. It should not turn into idol worship. Love for God allows us to ennoble, guide and warm our soul. Despite the simplicity of the commandment of Love for the Almighty, this feeling must be multifaceted. To comprehend this science, you need to understand a lot in order to achieve perfection.
Then the soul will be filled with this feeling, which will lead to a transformation of the being, illumination of thoughts, warming of the heart, direction of the will. The Almighty must become so familiar that it becomes the meaning of human life.
Let's sum it up
"God is love". That's what the Bible says. This great feeling is capable of performing real miracles. If a person strives to show his love, he is ready to sacrifice everything he has.
How should people love their Creator? The answer to this question will also be the text of the Bible. It says that people should love the Creator as much as they love themselves. Just as it is easy for a lover to perform actions in the name of the object of adoration, so it will be easy for people to follow the observance of the commandments indicated in the Bible. Those who will violate the laws of Holy Scripture are like the people who crucified Jesus. In order not to crucify the Son of God within oneself, one must try to be faithful to his commandments. Then the bliss of the Earthly Paradise will be revealed to man.
The highest degree of manifestation of love for the creator is the ability to sacrifice life for him. Such people are counted among the Saints, calling them martyrs.
All the truths about the relationship between man and the Creator are contained in the Book of Books - the Bible. Studying its secrets is an activity that will bring valuable fruits of reason and wisdom. People must communicate with the Creator, since he created them like himself. The Lord is open to conversation with man. Having shown an example of the highest love when he gave his son for people, the Creator expects us to observe simple biblical commandments, which not everyone manages to fulfill. In this way, believers demonstrate their love for God by daily confirming it with good deeds.
