AAA+ Love for God

What is the greatest commandment? It is identified in the Jewish Shema: love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Jesus answered with these words when a young man asked this question; the writers of the New Testament repeated His answer more than once. There can be no doubt that love for God is our number one priority. But to fulfill our duty we must know exactly what it means to love.

There are many different ways we use the word love in today’s English language, none of which correctly convey the meaning of the Greek word Jesus used in His answer about the greatest commandment as recorded in the Gospels. Although there were several words that might be translated “love” in first century Greek, the writers of the New Testament actually had to repurpose a word that was not in common usage. You may have heard the word: agape in noun form and agapao as a verb. (ἀγάπη - ἀγαπάω).

The best way to understand what a biblical Greek word means is to undertake a word study to see how the Bible authors used it. The study of agape reveals that it has an unusual meaning, which explains why a new word had to be found. The Greek language had words for affection, lust, and the family bond of love. When you see that agape was used to describe the relationship with God, with spouses, with fellow believers, with strangers, and even with enemies it is clear that another word had to be found for the meaning Jesus intended for “love.”

I believe the best word in present-day English to translate agape is care – to take care, to care about, to care for. This fits all the categories of people we are commanded to agapao. It is important to mention that this is not a word of affection or desire. It is not an emotion. In essence, it is a function of the human will. This makes sense because it is commanded of us. It would be irrational to command a person to feel something. Feelings come unbidden; they are a reaction to a cause. The agape of the Bible is something that must be poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. It is not a natural human condition. We must choose to agapao someone.

When you plug this understanding of the word love into the greatest commandment you read: “You must care about or care for God….” If that sounds strange at first, imagine what you would do if you cared about a person. You might want to do any reasonable thing they asked. You might want to seek their good whenever possible. You might feel a sense of obligation toward them. That is precisely how we should “feel” about God, but it is not a feeling – not an emotion. We must choose to act in certain ways, perhaps contrary to our own interests, if we care enough about what another person wants or needs.

This all sounds very dry or “soulish” in biblical terms, yet we know that agape comes to us through the Holy Spirit. He puts it in our hearts; He brings it as an element of the fruit He gives. True biblical agape is spiritual. However, this does not preclude the possibility of an emotional element as well. It took me a few years before I came to this conclusion as I admitted in “More Than a Feeling.” As I wrote back then, “I have said frequently over the years that we are not commanded to like anybody, but we have to love (agape) everybody. Now I think that biblical love may not be fully mature if it lacks compassion. I struggle to picture this until I imagine what Jesus would be feeling.”

While agape is primarily spiritual, it can – perhaps should – have an emotional, soulish aspect as well in some instances. This is especially true of agape toward fellow humans. (Love your neighbor as yourself: the second greatest commandment.) I most certainly agapao my wife, but I will admit to having both affection and desire for her as well. These secondary traits are human responses, but they are not part of the commandment. You don’t have to like your neighbor to go help him rake his yard when autumn leaves fall. You don’t need to feel compelled to spend time with your Christian brother on the golf course if you don’t want “a good walk spoiled.”  You certainly don’t have to condone what Hitler or Hamas have done to the Jews to fulfill your responsibility to agapao them. In each case, you simply have to wish the best for them.

When it comes to our unlikeable neighbor or our enemies, the best we can hope for them is that they would come to know God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. The same can be said for that disgusting uncle or wayward child or that unlovely person who sits in the pews with us or that political opponent we despise. We don’t have to feel guilty if we don’t want to spend time with these people or approve of their behavior; however, we are called to care about them and see to their needs when we are able.

The greatest commandment calls us to care whether God’s will is coming to pass on earth – our patch of it anyway – as it is in Heaven. The commandment asks us to strive to please God with our actions and attitudes. The commandment instructs us to make Christ visible in our lives to the best of our ability. As I said before, in fulfilling this command, we will properly have an emotional response at the foot of Jesus’ cross. These are three of the many ways we can love God with all our heart, soul, and might.

I begin my prayer time each day with a Triple A formula which reminds me of the greatest commandment. I look to God in Adoration because I cannot help feeling love for Him considering all He has done for me. I assert my Acclamation of His lordship over my life and all creation. I offer Admiration for His infinite excellency of character. In these I adore Him as my Savior; I acclaim Him as my Lord; I admire Him as the only One worthy of all my praise. After that, I add every effort I can manage to spend the rest of my day living like I mean it. That’s AAA+ love for God. I highly recommend it, and God commanded it.

 Related Posts: To Love Mercy; Loving Biblically; Truth Dysphoria