As I often remind myself and you, faith is knowing God IS and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Our faith and our ability to love Him falters on both truths all too often. We either do not fully believe that He is the Almighty, Sovereign God of the universe or that He really, truly loves us. If we did, we would be incapable of not demonstrating our love for Him through trusting Him, joyfully seeking to be in His presence, and resting fully in His Sovereign Grace. So, how can we truly love God with all our heart, our mind and our strength.
When questioned concerning the commandments, Jesus answered, “The first of all the commandments is…The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and will all thy soul, and will all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment, And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark 12:29-31).
The whole point is we cannot love our family, our friends, or our neighbors unless we first learn to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. But what does “to love God” look like?
To Love God with All Your Heart
How does one love God with all their heart? This is referring to the central core of one’s being. Understanding that true “being” is only found in Him, without whom only nothingness exists. “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). To love God with all your heart also means to trust Him with every detail of your life. In the midst of your darkest night, you trust His love, rest in knowing He is Sovereign, and that He is executing the best plan for your life. His desire for you is that you are wrapped in His love, enveloped in His Joy and heir of His Glory.
Only He can see all the future as well as the present. He knows precisely what is needed to prepare your heart, mind and soul to truly live life to its fullest with abiding, steadfast abounding joy. Also, He is ever about the process of transforming your heart to maximally rejoice in Him eternally in His presence.
Love God with all your soul
The soul is consciousness of mankind, that which is eternal. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). This is what separated humans from the animal kingdom. We have a consciousness and a conscience that remains eternal. Recognizing this to be true, that man was more than this fleshly body, is what lead a lifelong atheist such as Jean Paul Sartre to recognize God’s existence on his dying bed as he proclaimed: “I do not feel that I am the product of chance, a speck of dust in the universe, but someone who was expected, prepared, prefigured. In short a being only a Creator could put here; and this idea of a creating hand refers to God.”[1]
So, to love God with all your soul is to consciously be aware of His continuous presence in your life. Furthermore it is recognizing that there is not a thought, idea, word or deed that one can perform outside of God’s watchful eye. That should certainly be a sobering thought.
Psalm 139:1-13
O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins:
To Love God with All Your Mind
Our mind can easily be filled with the events of our day. Entertainment, work, chores, music, friends, bills, questions, choices and the lists go on. Needless to say our minds are bombarded with ideas. So, how do we live life and at the same time love God with all our mind? It boils down to some of our choices. Either for entertainment or music, I can choose to listen to that which feeds my mind with secular ideologies or that which feeds my mind with worship. I have found that the more I occupy my mind with Him, the easier all the tasks at work or home go. I can listen to worship music in the background, which settles my restless brain and helps me to focus on the task at hand.
On the other hand, when I fill my mind with useless entertainment, I find myself growing restless and unfocused in everything else. Doubt grows, fear expands, and everything else becomes an impossible task.
To Love God with all your strength
This perhaps is the most curious, “for when I am weak then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). When I surrender all of who I am, then, I love God with all my strength. His strength in me to perform what I could not on my own. Following His commandments by the strength of His Holy Spirit empowering me to do so. Obedience is an expression of loving God with all your heart.
But, it all begins with accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. Because there is nothing more important than this, I urge you to seek Him today.
ARE YOU IN OF NEED PRAYER?
If you have a prayer request email me by clicking here
Or if you would like to tell me your story or thoughts comment here
For previous posts regarding God’s love
Lessons of Love From the Heart of a Child
Is true Love Always a Costly Love?
Being Rooted and Grounded in the Magnitude of God’s Love
Or for poetry
Do You Want to Know the Secret to Abiding Steadfast Joy?
A labor of love, this book provides you with 3 foundations of truth from the scripture which once known will provide you with abiding, steadfast joy. Undaunted by the storms of life; your joy will overflow.
WHEN INJUSTICE AND VIOLENCE REIGN:
Through a study of Nahum, Habukkuk, and Zephaniah; I brought their message into our modern times. Answering the questions of “Why, God?”
Providing a foundation of faith and hope; even, as we see so much evil in the world and in our nation. With so much sorrow and despair, this book I wrote to guide you into discovering God’s Perfect Plan of love; amid this chaotic world filled with life’s storms.
You may click on the picture for more information on either of these books.
ANOTHER Book Available
You can find this and all my books on Amazon.com, search Effie Darlene Barba or click this link to be taken there
OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE
If you want to know more about other books I have written: You can read more about each one at: Book Resources.
Or for inspirational photos or home decor click here.
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2018
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Footnotes and Credits
[1] Ravi Zacharias, The End of Reason, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008),43.
Photo by Daniil Silantev on Unsplash the inscription I added.