Does God NEED our love?

[Dondi]

Jesus said unto him, 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 like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. - Matthew 22:36-40

I presented this question on another board and I wanted to get another opinion on this. I'd like a Christian perspective on this please.

Does God NEED our love?

[Thomas]

Does God need love? No.

God is love.

Why the commandment? Love is the way to know God intimately - for in love two become one.

Thomas.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by Dondi

Jesus said unto him, 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 like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. - Matthew 22:36-40

I presented this question on another board and I wanted to get another opinion on this. I'd like a Christian perspective on this please.

Does God NEED our love?

God wants our love (who doesn't?). Neighbors want our love, but neither needs our love. Love is not a commodity to be bought or sold. It is to be given willingly and freely. However, Love can be invested, and multiplied.

Hence, the commandment to love God and neighbor is an order from the master to invest that which has been given to us, in order for it to expand.

Love is like money in certain respects. By itself it does nothing but sit there. It can be squandered, resulting in nothing left to show for it. It can be invested foolishly (again resulting in no fruits), or it can be invested wisely, resulting in returns 10/20/100 fold.

So, if God gave us love, and expects us to give love to our neighbor, it is only appropriate that God should demand an accounting for what He gave out. Not that He needs anymore, but rather He wan'ts to see how we have multiplied it, or lost it.

He is saying, "Show me what you have done with that which I gave you".

Your question however, has in interesting irony to it. Bear with me a second. The Bible commands man to "Love" woman, and for woman to "Respect" man. Simple enough, since these are the issues that are at the core of the respective halves of the human race.

But the Commandmants tell us, Love God, and love neighbor as self.

I would be curious to know if the Bible (original), differentiates in the meaning of the word love pertaining to each of these aforementioned issues?..

If not, why would a paternal God, command love, instead of respect towards Him? And why does not God command us to "respect" our selves?

Now, if the Bible holds different meanings for the word love as noted above, then my thoughts/questions are mute.

v/r

Q

[Bandit]

Dondi, i am going to do some meditation on this, do a little bible study & prayer & get back to you with a thoughtful reply, i just need to search my own heart first & see where this leads me. i think God needs me & He needs & wants my love the same way i need & want Him. it is difficult though because i cant do without Him (too much) i can do a lot on my own, but not everything. i suppose He can do without me, if that is what i were to choose.

give me a few days & God bless you



Hey Q, nice post as well. i can relate to loving God that way & how it grows & grows in richness. it is boundless & has no end. it is wonderful.

[seattlegal]

IMHO, love would be a very precious thing to God, indeed, for these reasons:

1. If you examine the issue carefully, love would require free-will in order to be valid.
2. When something depends upon the free-will of another, you are giving up part of your control over the situation.
3. Material workings could not hold the same value to God as love, because God can create whatever material phenomenon God wants, without giving up any control over the process, but love would require that God gives up partial control over the situation, by the need to extend free-will to the entity in order for love to develop
4. Just about any other emotion can be produced without having to extend free-will, such as hate, sadness, or envy, which would put these emotions in the same class as material phenomena, but love, by requiring free-will, would become more precious than these other emotions.

What could be more precious to an all-powerful entity, who can do anything, with guaranteed results, than something that requires taking a chance, letting go of guarantees?

[Dondi]

I'm coming from a point of view that since God IS Love, He has to have an object for that Love. Where else would His Love emanate? Your thoughts in this angle please.

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by Dondi

I'm coming from a point of view that since God IS Love, He has to have an object for that Love. Where else would His Love emanate? Your thoughts in this angle please.

oh yes Dondi.

from that angle it is easy to see. almost like a magnet field or rays of sunshine needing somewhere to go. this is where you can see that free will within us choose to explore His love by receiving it gladly. or you reverse the magnet & it repels Gods love & pushes Him away.
we can absorb that light & love from God & also try to reflect it & send it back to Him or put up a mirror or canopy & stop it, then His love has no where to go & it just stays within Him & that seems lonely.
it is like His love is trying to enter & also bounce to others AND go back to Him- through, by & IN us.

pretty neat ideas you have.

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by seattlegal

IMHO, love would be a very precious thing to God, indeed, for these reasons:
What could be more precious to an all-powerful entity, who can do anything, with guaranteed results, than something that requires taking a chance, letting go of guarantees?

your four points are very good, Seattlegal.
as always

especially number four because that shows the difference of what does exist.