The Greatest Commandment

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Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.  And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’  The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  No other commandment is greater than these.”
–Jesus (Mark 12:29-31, NLT)

Jesus says the Greatest Commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:29-30).  This is the core of Christianity.  This is what defines us.  If we were to strip everything away, all the traditions, all the denominations, all the dissensions…this is what we would have.  So how do we do it?
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HEART | Compassion
Loving God with our heart means loving Him with all of who we are.  It means asking God to take our old, worn, broken heart and receiving His loving, everlasting heart.  It means seeing the world through God’s eyes, not our own.  It means that our heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart.  It means that God’s love isn’t only intellectual or theological; it’s life changing. Loving God with your heart means that we have a relationship with Him, where we speak to Him and He speaks to us.  When was the last time your heart broke for the things that break God’s heart?

SOUL | Wonder
Loving God with our soul means being in awe and amazement of who He is and what He’s done.  It could mean sitting outside, soaking up the sun and sounds around you, simply in awe of God’s creation.  It could mean reflecting on your past and seeing God’s hand in your life.  Whatever it is for you, loving God with your soul means being in wonder and adoration of God.  When was the last time you were amazed by God?

MIND | Curiosity
Loving God with our mind means loving Him intellectually.  It means being curious about God, creation, the Bible, etc.  Too often the attitude in churches is to not ask questions; loving God with you mind means to keep asking questions!  It means not settling for what someone else says about God; it means discovering who God is through reading the Bible, apologetics, etc.  Loving God with your mind means getting to know who God is more and more.  When was the last time you endeavored to learn more about God?

STRENGTH | Power
Loving God with our strength means loving Him with our actions.  “Actions speak louder than words.”  It means that God is more than a concept or a religion; we actually serve God with our hands.  It means doing what He says; giving Him our time, talent, and treasure.  It means serving others in selfless ways.  It means separating ourselves from sin and living a holy, pleasing life to Him.  Loving God with your strength means our deeds reveal our love for God.  When was the last time your actions showed your love for God?
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WHICH ONE IS THE BEST ONE?
There is always one or two ways the come naturally for us.  For you, it might be more natural to love God with your strength [actions], but difficult for you to love God with your soul [wonder and amazement].  Or maybe it’s easy to love God with your mind [intellectually], but not with your heart [compassion].  Whatever is natural for you: keep it going!  Whichever one you find most difficult, ask God to help you in that area.  Jesus wants us to know and love Him completely, not partially.

HEART
When was the last time your heart broke for the things that break God’s heart?

SOUL
When was the last time you were amazed by God?

MIND
When was the last time you endeavored to learn more about God?

STRENGTH
When was the last time your actions showed your love for God?

If we were all to embrace the core of Christianity, our entire culture would change.  We wouldn’t be defined by differences, denominations or dissensions.  We would be defined by our love for God and for one another.  We would literally see our world change for God.

“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
–Jesus (John 13:35)



**Inspired by Primal by Mark Batterson

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