'...you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' (Mark 12:30, NRSV)

So, by quoting Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 5, Jesus seems to imply that the faith God requires from us is one that engages all the faculties. It is a faith that does not exaggerate the rational at the expense of the emotional aspects of who we are, but neither is it swept away in a tide of emotion, superstition or blind belief, for the faith God requires from us is one which uses whatever ability to think God has given us. Moreover, if we are to love God with all our soul, then surely this cannot be a superficial faith, but one that we allow to touch us in the deepest part of who we are, and change us there. The faith God wants from us requires serious change and a serious amount of our time and effort, which can sound pretty scary. However, God is not a tyrant, but a loving Father, whose ways bring out the best in us and help us to do the best for the people around us and the environment we live in. The time and effort need not prevent us from leading a normal life, but merely become part of our everyday lives as living God's way starts to become second nature to us.

It seems that Jesus saw a life in tune with God's way of doing things as the best proof of a person's love for God. Just as pleasing a lover is the best way to express our love and is a source of great joy, so pleasing God can also be a delight when we realise that he asks us to do what is best for us and that which is totally in tune with who we are. He won't ask us to do something that is against our nature, although he may stretch us and show us that we are capable of things we had never dreamt possible. Sometimes he asks us to be daring, while understanding and accepting our fear, so he always leads us gently.

Jesus also said,

'If you love me, you will keep my commandments.' (John 14:15, NRSV)

So, our love for God should not just be about a warm feeling, but should be informed by our reading thinking and praying, and expressed through the way we live our lives.

Love is Time and Thought

If we love some one we will spend time with them. We can spend time with God by letting him into our thoughts and referring to him when we make decisions. Some people would call this praying or meditation.

Reading the Bible thoughtfully is another way to spend time with God. Apparently there is a Jewish tradition that thinks it's quite OK to ask questions of God as we read the Bible and in fact we can see that the Psalmist had no fear of asking God what he was up to at times.

If you aren't sure how to read the Bible visit dailyscripture.net

Many people think that the Bible is the authentic word of God and they worship the Bible, making it an idol..."

Alan Watts, from "The Essence of Alan Watts series - GOD.

Love shows Respect

Jesus taught us to say,

'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name'. (Matthew 6:9, NRSV)

How do we hallow God’s name? To hallow means to venerate and show respect, so not hallowing God’s name means to not treat it with respect. That will include not using any of God’s names as a swear word or curse, but it means far more than that, it also means we should not bring God’s name into disrepute, by doing things in God’s name that he neither approves of nor condones, such as killing your enemy, and treating people who are different from you without the respect they deserve, whether they are of a different race, sexual orientation or faith from you.

If we really love someone we shall treat them, their name and all that they love and stand for with respect.

Perhaps we don’t hallow God’s name when we try to explain him and contain him too much. So one way to hallow God's name could be to be totally open to the possibility that God is bigger and far more wonderful than we have ever imagined

Love means Shared Values

We can express our respect and love for God when we sing his praises in church and when we spend time quietly alone in prayer, but true worship is far more than this, it is about living our daily lives in a way that pleases God:

"I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." (Amos 5:21-24)

Honouring God means treating other people, who are made in his image, with respect and genuinely caring for them. It means trying to live in a way does not exploit anyone or deprive them of the means to a decent life.

Love Cherishes what the Beloved has made

If we believe in a God who created everything, then we will show love and respect for God by showing respect for his Earth and caring for his Creation.

Respect for the Earth will show itself in our careful use of the natural resources God has provided for everyone to enjoy, such as water, mineral oil and wood rather than greedily grabbing more than our fair share and depleting the Earth's resources.

Caring for God's Creation is about living in a way that does as little damage as possible to our environment and the natural world around us, and doing what we can to repair any damage we do.

We also show love for God when we remember to thank him for the good gifts he gifts us every day, including the air that we breathe, our daily bread and life itself.

Wanting to take a fresh look at the Bible? Try Peter Graystone's Daily Bible Reading on-line at surefish or in book form - a refreshing look at the Bible for every day of the year, however you read it.