In the Bible, love is more than a feeling. The Hebrew word for love, ahava, is connected to the idea of giving yourself to someone. That’s why biblical love is always demonstrated in action. God is love, and he created us in his image so we can love him and others. He proved his love in the most costly way possible when he gave his Son for us.
God Loves Us First
When the Shema says, “Love the Lord your God,” it uses the Hebrew word ahava. In our culture, love is often an emotion that turns on and off with our circumstances. But biblical love is deeper and steadier than that, because it begins with God himself. As John put it, “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
God didn’t love Israel because they earned it. His love flows from who he is, not who they were. When he rescued them from Egypt, he told them it was because he loved them (Deuteronomy 4:37). His love is not just a sentiment; it’s central to everything he does.
We Are Made in God’s Image So We Can Love
God created people in his image (Genesis 1:27). If God is love, then being made like him means we have the capacity to love too. Our love won’t be perfect, but it can reflect his.
1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
We are called to love God because he is the one true God. And we are able to love God and others because he made us to reflect him.
Love for God Is Demonstrated in Action
Telling someone you love them means little if your actions say otherwise. The same is true in our relationship with God. Warm feelings toward him are good, and worship helps us express them. But the Shema calls for love that shows up in how we live.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
Love for God also spills over into love for people. When Jesus quoted the Shema, he immediately added a second commandment.
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
John is even more direct: we can’t claim to love God while hating the people around us (1 John 4:20). Loving God means honoring him, putting him first, and living in a way that pleases him. Loving people means telling them about Jesus, investing in them, and meeting practical needs. You can read more in Love Is a Choice, Not Just a Feeling.
God Demonstrated His Love in the Most Costly Way
The heart of ahava is giving, and that’s exactly what God did for us. Sin separated us from him, and the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). But God took action to bring us back.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus wrestled with fear and anguish as he faced the cross. If he had followed his feelings alone, none of us would be forgiven. Instead, he chose to do his Father’s will. That’s what love is: a choice to give yourself for the good of someone else.
The Takeaway
Biblical love, or ahava, is more than a feeling; it’s something we give and do. God loved us first, made us in his image so we can love, and proved his love by sending Jesus to die for us. We respond by loving him and others with action, not just words.
