Love, Love, Love

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

- Mark 12:29-31

Top 1: Loving God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your mind, and with ALL your strength.

ALL means everything; not partial; as a whole; not conditional.

Heart.

Soul.

Mind.
Strength.

Top 2: Loving your neighbor as yourself. Loving others just as much as how you love yourself.

First, we should love God. Why? For when we love God, our love for others follow.  We cannot love others when we have not learned how to love God. Our relationship with God must be in tune before we can loe others just as we love ourselves.

Second, when we love, we should love all-out. When we love in partiality, we haven't loved at all.  It is not genuine love. God loves us all-out by giving His Son, Jesus, as a ransom for our sins  This is complete love.

Self-check: How have I loved God? Have I loved Him first? Have I loved Him with all my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength? How have I shown love to my neighbor? Am I loving myself? Who do I consider my neighbor?

[PRAYER]

Father God, forgive me for failing in this area. Forgive me for not obeying what Jesus commanded.  Lord God, my heart faints; rescue my heart. Please give me a burning passion; a heart that loves You more than anything else.  In Jesus' name. Amen

[July 23, 2012]