"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment." ~Mark 12:30
Does God ever ask the impossible? I know it says in the Bible that with God all things are possible...but we're just humans. And humans screw up everything! Can we do it?
Today in church, the message had to do with obeying God & this verse was used. If we can achieve this sort of love, then all the other commandments fall under this. If we love God like He commands then we could avoid breaking all the other commandments. But is this sort of love achievable? Heart, soul, mind & strength? Definitely not without faith!
Today in church, the message had to do with obeying God & this verse was used. If we can achieve this sort of love, then all the other commandments fall under this. If we love God like He commands then we could avoid breaking all the other commandments. But is this sort of love achievable? Heart, soul, mind & strength? Definitely not without faith!
I guess you have to look at the relationships you do have, the people in your life whom you love & ask yourself if you think you love them in this way... with EVERYTHING that is in you? Your spouse? Your children? Your parents? Your siblings? Do you have this sort of love for them? Is it possible? Can you love someone this deeply? Why should it be impossible to love God in this way?
Because we're selfish! We don't have the selflessness to abandon all the things we love in order to put it all on God. And yet, when we abandon it all for Him, we are so filled with love 'left-over' to pour out onto others. Why should that require strength to do if its so obvious that there is over-flowing blessings in return? He is asking us, commanding us, for our love, not some of it, ALL of it. With everything we have, heart, soul, mind & strength. It requires faith, faith that He will bless you for it, faith that you will have love abundantly to pour out to others.
This is the greatest & most important commandment He has given to us. If we can strive to love Him with our heart, soul, mind & strength, if we can obey this foremost commandment, oh the blessings we should see!
They say that Love makes the world go round... Sounds good but not fully true... Maybe it should be said that God's love makes the world go round! :-)
ReplyDeleteThere's so much out there that "steals" our time away from God. I'm just as guilty as the next. I think on those qualities of love in I Cor. 13 and I find myself lacking, but at the same time it is a challenge to build a deeper love for the One who has saved me and given me life! Great post!
ReplyDeleteI missed hearing this message Beck, and its such a good one! We took a day of rest (and what a beautiful day it was) I'm just 'borrowing' internet at the school... no internet at home, and possibly for a while yet. We do have phone tho. If I don't hear otherwise, I'm looking forward to our weekly walk and visit! xoxoxoxo
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post; thank you.
ReplyDeleteVanessa
hard, isn't it..
ReplyDelete