How do you love God?
Good Morning Friends,
Today we ask what may be the most important question you will ever be asked to answer. It is beautifully unique to each of us and uniformly simple. Answering the question helps us to discover, if we are honest, our purpose. The rules are set out in the first five of the Ten Commandments. But there is more…so much more. So, the question I am asking of you today is….. How do you love God?
Scripture: Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (NRSV)
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘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, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’–this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Mark 12:28-34 (NRSV)
Message: Jesus said we need to do four things to love God completely. Let’s break this down as Jesus did. It starts with the desire of the heart. Here we have to face the reality that the deep currents of our emotions steer our lives. We are captivated by all sorts of activities in seeking fulfillment. So, discern what occupies your time. Determine what it is that motives your actions. Understand what you truly value and treasure. Now aim to make Jesus your treasure. Value God. Spend time with God. To love God with our soul has to do with being devoted and faithful in lifestyle and behavior. This is about making godly choices. We are to be obedient to the Spirit, Word and Truth. We are to live humbly because we are all sinners. To love God with all of our mind ultimately requires us to think supernaturally. We are to reason. We are to seek knowledge. We are to remember the past and triumph over it in Christ’s truth. But then we are to fix our imagination on what is honorable and right with a love that releases us to the possibilities of living in faith, creating something outside the box. Now loving God with all our strength is counterintuitive. Here to allow the power of the universe to flow through us we have to admit we are weak. Friends, spend some time today learning to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Discover for yourself what it means to love God.
Pray we pursue God. Pray we read scripture. Pray we grow and adjust. Pray we delight in the Lord. Pray our affection for God is captured in the choices we make. Pray we pursue a life that honors God in our attitudes and speech. Pray we reach with a creative mind to connect with something that glorifies God. Pray God’s strength flows though us. Pray we realize that if we have figured out how to love God, then we need to then learn how to love our neighbors.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 