How do we love god?

* THIS POST CONTAINS BOTH AFFILIATE AND PRODUCT LINKS,
​ALONG WITH LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES AND VIDEOS MENTIONED IN THE POST.*

As parents, one of the greatest privileges we have is pointing our kids toward God. Amy and I often reflect on how deeply this responsibility shaped the way we tried to raise our children. One passage that guided our family again and again is Deuteronomy 6:4–9:

​4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. ​- Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV

This passage gives parents our marching orders. We are called not only to teach our children about God, but to fill our everyday lives with conversations about Him. Faith is not meant to be a once-a-week topic reserved for church. It is something we talk about at the dinner table, in the car, during bedtime routines, and in ordinary moments of life.

But before we can teach our kids to love God, we have to answer a foundational question ourselves: How do WE love God?

---

---

One Sunday morning I asked this question to our church as we gathered for worship. Together we read what is often called The Great Commandment from Matthew 22:37–40:

“You shall 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: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” - Matthew 22:37-40 ESV

Jesus makes it clear that loving God is the first and greatest commandment. But what does it actually mean to love God?

At its core, to love God is to worship Him. Loving God means responding to Him with awe, reverence, and devotion—with every part of who we are: our hearts, our souls, and our minds.

​When we understand love for God this way, worship becomes much bigger than what we do on a Sunday morning.

Worship is three fold

1. Worship Is Corporate
Every week believers gather together to worship God. Sunday morning worship is not a performance or a box to check on our weekly to-do list. It is the gathered people of God coming together in humility and joy to honor the One who alone is worthy of our praise.

​When families prioritize gathering with the church, our kids learn that God is worthy of our time, our attention, and our devotion.

[ affiliate link ]

2. Worship Is Personal
Worship also happens in our personal lives. Prayer, reading Scripture, reflecting on God’s goodness, and thanking Him for His work in our lives are all ways we worship Him individually.

​When children see their parents praying, reading the Bible, and seeking God personally, they begin to understand that faith is not just something we do at church—it is part of our daily lives.

---

[ affiliate link ]

We Love Audible!

On a recent trip, we downloaded and listened to two books using our Audible subscription. The plan, listen as we drive. And, we did. Two, full-length books. We loved the books. And, we loved that it made our travels a little more enjoyable. Check out Audible, and starting listening today!

Discover Audible

---

3. Worship Is Lived
Finally, worship is expressed through how we live. Our words, our work, our attitudes, and our actions can all reflect honor to God. Scripture reminds us in Romans 12:1 to present our lives as a “living sacrifice.”
​
In other words, our entire lives can become an act of worship.

---

---

Modeling Worship for Our Kids

​If we want our children to love God, they must first see us loving God.

They will notice what we prioritize. They will observe how we respond to challenges. They will see whether our faith shapes our daily decisions.

Deuteronomy reminds us that spiritual formation happens in the everyday rhythms of life—when we sit in our homes, when we walk along the way, when we lie down, and when we rise.

So this week, consider this question: Does my life reflect a life of worship?

As parents, we have the incredible opportunity to invite our children into a life centered on the Most High God. Together—in weekly worship, in quiet moments with the Lord, and in the way we live our lives—we can show them what it means to love and worship the one true and living God.

And that is how we teach our children to love Him.

— the higham family

---

Discussion Questions for Parents...

1. What are some everyday moments in our home where we can naturally talk about God with our kids?
2. What spiritual habits (prayer, Bible reading, worship) do our children currently see modeled in our lives?
3. How can we make weekly corporate worship a meaningful priority for our family?
4. In what ways can our daily actions and attitudes demonstrate a life of worship to our children?
5. What is one small step we can take this week to more intentionally disciple our kids in loving God?

---