“And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” (Luke 10:27-28 ESV)
The background to the scripture is Jesus being questioned by a lawyer of his day, and answering a difficult question. The question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”, caused Jesus challenge him to go to the Scriptures and answer his own question!
The scripture points out two distinct “loves” that we are to have to, as the Scripture says, “inherit eternal life.” The first “love” is the love of God.
We are to love God with all our heart. This includes our emotions, will, and deepest convictions. Everything we “feel” needs to be touched, directed, and controlled by and through the absolute and total love of God. Do we love him enough to keep on loving him in the tough times Does our love for him survive our deepest pains and sorrows. Does our love for him remain even in the time of highest joys and self sufficiency? Do we love God through every facet of our lives no matter what we want or desire? Do we love God enough to set aside our pre-conceived notions and allow His Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and teach us and inform us, and maybe even change our paths?
We are to love God with all our soul. Does our spirit cry out for the living God as the psalmist did when he wrote, “as the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after you O God.”? Do we know God personally as our Saviour and Lord? Do we love him because He has first loved us? Is there any part of our being that resists Him?
We are to love God with all our strength. How a person uses the abilities and powers that he has shows a lot about how much they love. A man will work 3 jobs, eschew sleep, and sacrifice everything he has to earn enough money to buy a diamond ring for the woman he loves and wants to marry. Are we willing to sacrifice, and do whatever it take for God, simply because we love Him THAT much?
We are to love God with all of our mind. When our own human reason seems right, or wants to prevail, do we love God enough to trust his plan and purpose for our life, even if we don’t see it yet? Will we like Abram of old choose to trust God to provide, even when the item of provision is impossible, or so man would say. Abram and Sarai had a son far beyond their child bearing ages. God promised, and he delivered, but not on their time schedule. Yet they still loved God through it all, even though some doubt and even laughter at the absurdity of it all crept in. Do we love God so much that we will trust and obey, no matter what our human mind may offer in response?
In a nutshell, it means total devotion to our Great God! We must give him every facet of our love. As the old hymn says, “Jesus is all the world to me; my life, my joy, my all!” We must love the Lord our God with every fibre in our being, accept His gift of eternal life which is found through a relationship with Jesus Christ – who teaches us how to love – alone.
It is when we learn how to love God that we learn how to love others, which is the other half of the equation, and the subject of next week’s article. But for today, focus on God. Do you truly love Him? If you do, deepen your love for him through learning more about him through His Word and prayer. If you don’t, take some time and work through your reasons why. You may find that He is more lovable that you ever imagined.
