How to begin to love God

I want to give back ground information on what is going to be posted after this short point of reference. My Bible study for church asked for me to start a discussion about how can one learn to love God more; this is because we realize that to love people more we must learn to love God more. I had no idea where to start; for I am person who is trying to find his faith and if you asked me 6 months ago for an answer to this question it would be different from the one that I am providing today. This is probally different from an awnser 6 months from now.

Knowing my limited knowledge I decided to pursue an answer from scholars who do have the respect and consistency which is needed to address the inquired problem. I am currently reading several books by C. S. Lewis (if you have the means pick up any of his books for all are good and provide much insight to the vastness of which is God, please do). Here is my response in an email to the group on the question, "How can one learn to love God more?" From his book The Abolition of Man my response was created.

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St. Augustine states virtue as the "ordinate condition of the affections in which every object is accorded that kind of decree of love which is appropriate to it." This quote was brought to me while a friend was reading The Abolition of Man. He then asked me what that quote means. Now I believe that most questions asked typically have a sub question connected to them. The original question A is typically for a bit of information of the objectionable form; this is for benefit of question B because question B is that of the subjective form to which the person asking wants to make up their own mind. In this case question B might be, “what implications does the inquired statement have to my life?”

Taking the above idea my plan is to present an insight of God and provide a tangible way to get wrapped up in who he is; without an extreme change to one's life.

To get the full impact of what this statement means to the reader of this book, the point needs to be addressed of what is the idea that C.S. Lewis trying to persuade us to believe. The philosophical point trying to be argued for in chapter one is that "objects did (do) not merely receive, but could merit, our approval or disapproval, our reverence our contempt." This statement is in response to Coleridges idea that; responses (emotions) to an object had the ability to be correct, and therefore also incorrect.

In light of the philosophical idea we can conclude that in this context Lewis and Augustine, state the effect of one's response toward an object reflects upon that person’s maturity to the universal idea of that object. Now if each object has a universal appeal to itself there has to something greater to give that universal appeal needed to each object. The something greater must be above both the time and matter of that object; so that most complete universal definition can be made. If no such great thing existed then each object at its own point along a line would indeed make its own universal definition which by definition of universal, would not be universal.

Summarization of the statement above is that there is a universal definition which creates a correct response to an object created by a Being above the time and matter of that object. Through this the more one allies his views to each of these individual universals the more one lives virtuous (Christ Like).

That is what the quote means and now we go onto the implied question of what does this mean to the life I live now. To do this an analogy must be set up for what God is: and that analogy is, God is beauty. The proof of this statement is that beauty in the natural sense is good (this is excluding perfectionist and perverted beauty). What is good is of and from God and therefore what is good can be shown to give insight to the One who created the object to which beauty is associated.

Now here is the important part to which I will uses this crude example to illustrate the implications. If I were to comment to you on how many Chevy Luminas there are on the road you might not have ever noticed one of them prior to our conversation. Yet, you because of our conversation are more incline to notice them on the road. As you notice one of them you will start to notice more and more of them through the breeding and training of your mind (a seed being planted). A cycle has now started in seeing-noticing-seeing (the sprout is now growing). This same form of work can be done through the beauty from God. If one commits to finding something beautiful once a day it will breed and train their mind on how to notice beautiful things, thus finding more and more beautiful things. The cycle will then become seeing beauty - understanding universals - acknowledging God's Character - becoming more virtuous - being more Christ like - then being more Christ like you will then see more beauty because you understand universals better. Thus you will be moving into a more knowing and loving relationship to God, through an appreciation of his creativeness.

In light of the above comments read Matthew 5:3-10 and a new view and perspective might reveal itself in those words of Matthew 5:3-10. Being filled with God's character one will understand universals more and as painful emotions arouse when we see lesser good objects, we need not be afraid for we will now know where to find the good of God's genius.

In summary, seek this week once a day to find something that arouses emotions of love, beauty, and awe. If you have the chance; take a picture of them or take someone with you to experience that, please do. Do this along with a prayer that God may show you his beauty in all of His creation, and the ability to see Him in everything.