What does it mean to "love" God?

Two scriptures to start out my blog today:
1 Cor 2:9-10 (ESV)
"But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"--- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God."

Rom 8:26-28 (ESV)
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

When I was in high school, I was a people pleaser. I knew that if I could please someone enough, that they would ultimately benefit me the way that I wanted to be benefited in their capacity. It is amazing how people pleasing has an outward appearance of humility, but an inward reality of arrogance and selfishness. It was not until I was in my later years in college when a man I regard very highly saw this in me and turned me to a book by Edward Welch "When People are Big and God is Small." This whole book was on the idea of having a "fear of man" that hinders your ability to love and fear God. This book rocked my world with conviction: I was a people pleaser because I feared people because of an ultimate selfishness knowing that I longed for their affection and acceptance. I was so lost when it came "loving God" because my whole paradigm regarding fear was flipped.

The fact is, as human we have the desire to work for something. We have a natural desire to please people because it will ultimately provide for us and move us along the lines of the business world: getting a job, getting a promotion, getting a bonus check. What we NEED to realize is that God allows us to have this desire on purpose, we may just need to flip our paradigm on it.

I'm equating the fact that "loving God" is similar to "pleasing God." This is the paradigm flip. We are to use that desire to please for benefit TOWARD God and not any person or thing of this world. The above two passages elude to the fact that God seems as if He is just waiting and on the edge of his seat to bless those who "love" him! I don't know about you, but I'd long for God's blessing more than a pay raise or job promotion any day.

The question is still this: What does it mean to "love God" so that we can experience this special blessing? Rom 8:28 says that for those who "love God" God works all things for good; but notice the second part of the verse, "for those who are called according to His purpose." Paul uses this phrasing to clarify his point: Loving God IS being called according to His purpose and living accordingly.

To live according to God's purpose is to share the same interest and desire of Him. What is God's desire ultimately? To Glorify Himself. Creation screams it, our minds long for it, the Spirit in us fuels it: Give Glory to God because there is no other than God worth giving Glory! For us to be called according to God's purpose is do preach, to live, to proclaim, to reflect, all of the things/truths/relationships that Give God the Most glory. By doing this, we are on truly in the right direction to "loving" God.

To love God then means to study Him. If I'm in love with my wife, which I am, I then spend the rest of my life to learn everything about her to serve her better, to love her better. I heard it said once that marriage is a doctoral program that never ends. I am striving to get my doctorate in "my wife" because I Love her. This same thing applies for "loving" God. Study his word!!! Live off the life giving bread of the Word of God! We already know that we cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Let's take that serious. You do not need to have a theology degree to read the Bible and get something of it. You simply need two eyes. (not to mention braille and other forms of getting into God's word)

To love God then means to bear fruit. The above two passages both attribute a TON of reference to the Holy Spirit's influence in this aspect of loving God. I believe that one of the reasons for this is because it is only in the Holy Spirit that we can truly "love" anything because God is Love. The fruit is so crucial because "love" is exemplified in the fruit of the spirit. Just contrast Gal 5 (walking by the spirit) and 1 Cor 13 (the Love chapter). The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace patience kindness etc. Well we know also that Love is patient, love is kind etc. To Love God is to bear His fruit.

Long story short... My human desire to please for benefit is an aspect that God uses to increase His Glory. We ought to seek to "love" God more so that we can fully delight in Him.