Loving God First
I think sometimes I have been confused about the greatest commandment, and have maybe taken what Jesus said out of context and only concerned myself with loving others because that was what I was supposed to do, right? But as I ponder on that, I realize that often I have gotten ahead of myself and really didn’t hear all that Jesus was saying.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind; the second is to love others as yourself (Matt 22:36-40). This means that loving God is first and the center of everything, then(and only then) can I love others. ‘ As yourself’ implies that I know how to love others by the love I show myself. If I love others first before choosing to love God with all my heart, soul and mind and love myself; I have put the cart before the horse. Just like self assembled furniture, the order matters to get the right result. If I get the order wrong, I can easily end up with bitterness and resentment.
So how do I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind? I think for me, it starts with spending time with Him and in His word everyday. He left the Bible for us to know Him and His character better, and as a directive for living. The Word itself tells us that all scripture is useful so that we may be complete and equipped for every good work(2 Tim 3:16-17). It sounds like exactly what I need to be able to fulfill the greatest commandment; so why would I not read it or listen to it as often as I can?
But, here’s the thing…that is just the beginning, because that is just the mind part. So how do I get it from my head to my heart? I need to pray and humbly ask for Him to transform me from the inside out. I don’t want to be who I have been; I want to be who He wants me to be. I pray verses back to God: like Psalm 51:10 create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. My heart has been bruised and battered living in this world and only God can remove the hard spots that have formed; I can’t do it on my own! I try to talk to Him all day long, show gratitude for all He has done and bring every thought to Him because I know that the condition of my heart affects everything that flows from me.
Okay, so what about my soul? I know that the love of God in my soul started the moment that I accepted Him as my savior, but what about my soul every minute after that moment of conversion? I think that my soul is nourished by my continual surrender. The more I die to myself, the more I am willing to honestly look at myself and see with my own eyes the way that I behave; seeking and asking for His will for my life and the power to carry that out and most importantly asking Him repeatedly to fill me with His Spirit; the more I learn to love Him with all of my soul.
From here, as I carry on with these practices, God does what only He can do! He can cause me to love others from the outflow of His Spirit in my heart and soul, instead of me doing it out of obligation. Love is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) and by the continual surrender of my heart, soul and mind He will bear fruit in me that I could never produce on my own.
Practice for Today
Today I will work to focus on God and look at myself honestly. It is only in truth that I am able to be transformed to become more like Him by His power. I will choose to fill myself more with His Word and ask Him to fill me with His Spirit. I will trust in His power at work within me and watch as little by little I am slowly transformed. God asks me to do what is impossible in my own strength, but by the power of His Spirit at work within me I can love others as He has loved me first and show others the love of Jesus.
Matthew 22:36-39 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘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: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’