Do I Love God? How?

Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health, on page 454, “Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching.” I know that we all claim for ourselves how much God loves us, but it occurred to me, how frequently do you ask yourself — myself — what do I do to show that I love God, because that is also very important. In what way really am I loving God?

In Matthew 22, Jesus says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” “This is the first and great commandment.” “And the second is, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’”

I feel that we should often examine ourselves, and be honest with ourselves, to what extent, and in what way, am I loving God? He loves us, yes, but in what practical ways, am I loving Him? Am I obeying these commandments? In Mrs. Eddy’s article “Ways that are Vain” (Miscellany, page 213) we read “Watch your thoughts, and see whether they lead you to God and into harmony with His true followers.”

From this I feel that maintaining a pure consciousness that is keeping only the ideal of God’s creating as its reality, is one important clear way of obeying and loving God and man. Seeing and thinking only good, is obeying God’s command, and is loving Him. Also, Mrs. Eddy says in Miscellaneous Writings page 210, “Love your enemies, or you will not lose them; and if you love them, you will help to reform them.” So beautiful! And again, it is in keeping with loving God’s ideal — the ideal of His creating — and loving and lifting man’s burdens. In so doing we are loving God and respecting Him. Such thinking blesses all.

I am so grateful for all that we learn from the Bible as well as Mrs. Eddy’s writings, which makes living the truth very practical and uplifts us all.