-What Does It Look Like?

Through the years, I have met many people who claim that they love God; and, I’ve asked them what that looks like! What does it look like to love God? How would you answer that question? In Mark’s gospel, chapter 12, Jesus said:  “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” Mark 12:28-30.  In fact, Jesus says that to love God personally is THE most important command! But, there’s a 2nd point to draw from His words— we’re called “…to love God WITH ALL WE HAVE.”

-Love God With All We Have!

Therein lies the problem with loving God! How can we love God with all we have; and, again, what does that kind of love look like? Four times He uses the word “ALL”; which, literally means “the WHOLE.” In other words, Jesus is saying that genuine love, for God, has to be “ALL IN.” We can’t love Him half-heartedly; or, we’re a liar!  Real love, for God, is comprehensive! It’s all inclusive! There’s no area of our life that can be left out! We love Him with “…our whole heart…” So, our heart is devoted to Him. There’s no pretense! No hypocrisy! We can’t say we love Him & live our life like He doesn’t exist! We don’t ignore those we truly love, do we?

-Get Emotional Over God!

And, then, Jesus says that to love God with ALL we have—or, to be “ALL IN”—is to love Him “…with all your soul…” Our soul is the seat of our emotions! He gave us emotions so we could love Him & worship Him. So, love Him & worship Him deeply! Get emotional over Him! Desire Him! You ought to be concerned if you can get all emotional over an animal; or, a Hallmark Christmas movie; or, a football game; but, you have no emotions for God! Is that kind of love and faith even genuine? Jesus also says that to love God, with all you have, is to love Him “…with all your mind…” So, while we love Him with our emotions, it’s not mindless emotion! We think about Him; and, we submit our thinking to Him! We love Him because we’ve considered Him! We’ve meditated on Him; and, we’ve made a conscious decision to love Him because we really know Him! We know His infinite worth!

-Love God With Your Strength!

Finally, Jesus says to “…love God with all your strength.” That is the BEST we have! We’re to love Him out of our STRENGTH; NOT, our leftovers! This word relates to our physical being. We love Him in our ACTIONS!—with our hands & our feet! If our love for God is genuine we’ll serve Him and others with a passionate energy—with our STRENGTH! As I worked through this passage, I was moved—I believe by His Spirit—to ask myself the question, “Why do I love God?’ And, one Scripture echoed, “We love Him because He first loved us” 1 John 4:19. I am only capable of loving God with ALL I have because He loved me first! I’m a sinful, broken man; and, the only way I can grow to love God “ALL IN” is by His Spirit’s power!