How Do You Love the Lord with all your heart?
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said the greatest commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Do YOU love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and mind?
It’s difficult to love the Lord in a meaningful way, especially with the way we live in today’s society.
How Do You Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind?
The FIRST step is to think of God outside of going to church. In Judges 16:15, Delilah says to Sampson, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me?” The same would apply to us when it comes to God.
How can we claim to love the Lord when we don’t even think of him on many days?
Step 1: Desire to Love the Lord with all your heart:
Over and over in the Bible’s Old Testament, the Lord tells us to love Him with all our heart:
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes, which I command you today for your good?
Joshua 22:5 “Only take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
There are numerous verses in the Bible that repeat the refrain to love the Lord with all our heart and soul. So the very first thing we have to ask ourselves is: Am I even trying to love the Lord with all my heart?
Step 2: Learn HOW to Love the Lord with all your heart:
There are several aspects of loving the Lord with all your heart. Firstly, it’s important to realize God wants a relationship with you. If you think of other relationships in your life that are important, you can pattern your loving relationship with God after your other relationships.
What is involved in loving relationships?
- Spending time together;
- Talking with each other regularly;
- Seeking to know and understand the other person’s heart and desires;
- Desiring to the strengthen the relationship by doing loving things for the other person;
Every aspect of a relationship with someone in this world can be applied to your loving relationship with God. Doing so is a matter of making your relationship with God a viable priority.
How do you make God a priority in your life?
- Seek God (Hebrews 11:6) best done by reading a Bible daily;
- Serve God (Romans 14:18);
- Walk with God (Micah 6:8);
- Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17);
By doing the things listed above, you will build your relationship with God. Over time, you will feel God’s presence more clearly in your life. You will come to know Him better, and you shall begin to know how much you love Him.
Matthew 22:37 is one of my favorite verses! Challenging, yes … but what a beautiful challenge, “especially in today’s society!”
THANKS, Sheryl!