Dec 19

True Religion

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” 

Mark 12:30

Jesus summed up true religion in two commandments; the one above, along with the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. The commandments of love do indeed sum up what is required of those who hope to be like Christ. Loving requires action on the part of the one doing the loving. One cannot remain dormant and truly love. Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength require not only our full attention, but also an intense desire or longing to be close to God. When we love eagerly, we cleave to, stand in awe of, and constantly rest in God. Love is supremely pleased and satisfied with God as its portion. If we love God with all our whole heart, we will love nothing in comparison to Him. One would be willing and ready to give up or suffer anything in order to please and glorify God, our Father. If we loved God with all our soul, with all our life, we would be ready to give up our lives for God’s sake: to be deprived of comfort and convenience if it meant bringing glory to God. When we love God with all our strength, we will be exerting all the powers within our bodies in the service of God, who for the glory of God, would spare neither expense nor energy for the cause of Christ. He who loves with his entire mind, applies himself to KNOWING God, not just knowing about God. There are many in this world that know about God, but they do not have a personal father and son relationship with Him. They do not know Him in an intimate way, the way a son would. This is what Jesus says is required of us, that we have such an intense desire and longing to be close to God, to know Him, and to serve Him, that we will give Him our all. He will be our everything, our world will revolve around Him.

Father, we long to be close to You, to love You with the same intensity that You loved us. Teach us to love You in that way. Help us to free ourselves from the distractions of life and keep our focus on You. Oh, that we will be so consumed with only You that we would not rest until we have brought You glory with our last dying breath! Amen