Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. - Matthew 22:37 NLT

When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He quoted a prayer every Jew knew by heart: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt. 22:37; Deut. 6:4–5, ESV). This is the Shema, from the Hebrew word shema meaning “hear” or “listen.” But in Hebrew, to hear always implies to obey. So from the start, loving God has never been about lip service—it’s about allegiance.

The word Jesus uses for “love” is agapaō. It doesn’t describe a passing emotion or romantic affection. It means to prefer what God prefers—to actively choose His will. Scholars call it a “discriminating affection,” a love that involves choice and selection. In other words, to love God is to align your desires and actions with His desires, empowered by His Spirit.

That doesn’t erase emotions. In Scripture, the heart represents both will and feeling. God isn’t asking you to shut off your emotions or pretend trauma doesn’t affect you. He’s asking you to bring all of it—your grief, your numbness, your joy—into relationship with Him. Loving God means you don’t let emotions have the final say, but you also don’t ignore them. They’re part of the self He commands you to offer.

Here’s the grace: God loved first. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Christ Himself showed us what love looks like when He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). He preferred the Father’s will even when His emotions were pressed to the breaking point. Because of Him, love is no longer about you striving harder—it’s about Christ living through you (Gal. 2:20).

So, what does it mean to love God? It means choosing His choices, even when feelings are fragile, trusting His Spirit to hold you steady. Love is allegiance rooted in grace: all of you—heart, mind, soul—responding to the One who loved first.