“Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest? ” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:36-39 HCSB
At well over five times we are told to "Love the Lord your God with all your" heart, soul, mind, and strength. Some places leave out one or more of the four but I think they all should be listed.
So what does loving God with all our heart look like? To me to love God with all my heart means to love God with all my emotions. When I am happy love God. When I am sad love God. When I am in a good mood and when I am mad love God!
Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,
Ephesians 4:26 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/eph.4.26.HCSB
Love God with all your heart, emotions!
So what does it mean to love God with all your soul? For me to love God with all my soul is to love Him with all I believe. That is not to believe something and conform the Bible to it, but rather conform what I believe to the Bible. If the Bible tells me something is wrong then I need to fix my life to align with the Bible and therefore I will love God with more of my beliefs.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/2ti.3.16-17.HCSB
Love God with all your soul, beliefs!
What does it mean to love God with all your mind? Love Him with all that enters and exits your mind.
For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/2co.10.3-5.HCSB
For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated.” (As a result, He made all foods clean. ) Then He said, “What comes out of a person — that defiles him. For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, promiscuity, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”
Mark 7:19-23 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/mrk.7.19-23.HCSB
So what can we do to make sure we are loving God with all our minds. First, we must have a healthy dose of the Word of God. This is to say read your Bible every day. Second, we are to limit our influence from the world. Maximize our time of the Bible and minimize our time with the world. Open your Bible and turn off Facebook, Netflix, and anything similar. A word of caution. We still have responsibilities in this world: jobs, family, and friends. Do not neglect these things just to spend time only reading your Bible, but also do not neglect your time with God for these things.
Love God with all your mind, thoughts!
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/1th.5.23.HCSB
We are three parts our spirit (mind), soul, body (heart and strength).
What does it look like to love God with all your strength? To Love God with your strength is to love God in all your actions. If you have a job work it as working for God and not just for your boss. If you have a hobby do it to the best of your ability. If you help your neighbor be the light of God. If your enemy needs something help him.
To love God with all our strength is to fulfill the second greatest commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself! At the end of Matthew 5, we find this verse: 'Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Matthew 5:48 HCSB
If we were to look at the things Jesus just finished saying He is talking about how we are to interact with the people around us. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Obey and teach the commands of God. Do not hate anyone. Do not lust after other people or things. Do not divorce. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Go the extra mile for those who can require you to go one mile. Love your enemies. Then Jesus says be perfect! Be perfect in your dealings with people and love The Lord your God with all your strength.
Obedience and love go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other.
The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”
John 14:21 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/jhn.14.21.HCSB
This all got me thinking if we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, what else are we to do with all of our heart, soul, mind, or strength?
Worship Him!
“If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the Lord your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul, I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil. I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be satisfied.
Deuteronomy 11:13-15 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/deu.11.13-15.HCSB
Search and seek for Him!
But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/deu.4.29.HCSB
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/jer.29.13.HCSB
Trust in Him!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/pro.3.5-6.HCSB
Turn to Him!
Even now — this is the Lord’s declaration — turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Joel 2:12 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/jol.2.12.HCSB
Love, worship, seek, search, trust and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength then you will have everything God has promised you!
So what does loving God with all our heart look like? To me to love God with all my heart means to love God with all my emotions. When I am happy love God. When I am sad love God. When I am in a good mood and when I am mad love God!
Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,
Ephesians 4:26 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/eph.4.26.HCSB
Love God with all your heart, emotions!
So what does it mean to love God with all your soul? For me to love God with all my soul is to love Him with all I believe. That is not to believe something and conform the Bible to it, but rather conform what I believe to the Bible. If the Bible tells me something is wrong then I need to fix my life to align with the Bible and therefore I will love God with more of my beliefs.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/2ti.3.16-17.HCSB
Love God with all your soul, beliefs!
What does it mean to love God with all your mind? Love Him with all that enters and exits your mind.
For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/2co.10.3-5.HCSB
For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated.” (As a result, He made all foods clean. ) Then He said, “What comes out of a person — that defiles him. For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, promiscuity, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”
Mark 7:19-23 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/mrk.7.19-23.HCSB
So what can we do to make sure we are loving God with all our minds. First, we must have a healthy dose of the Word of God. This is to say read your Bible every day. Second, we are to limit our influence from the world. Maximize our time of the Bible and minimize our time with the world. Open your Bible and turn off Facebook, Netflix, and anything similar. A word of caution. We still have responsibilities in this world: jobs, family, and friends. Do not neglect these things just to spend time only reading your Bible, but also do not neglect your time with God for these things.
Love God with all your mind, thoughts!
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/1th.5.23.HCSB
We are three parts our spirit (mind), soul, body (heart and strength).
What does it look like to love God with all your strength? To Love God with your strength is to love God in all your actions. If you have a job work it as working for God and not just for your boss. If you have a hobby do it to the best of your ability. If you help your neighbor be the light of God. If your enemy needs something help him.
To love God with all our strength is to fulfill the second greatest commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself! At the end of Matthew 5, we find this verse: 'Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Matthew 5:48 HCSB
If we were to look at the things Jesus just finished saying He is talking about how we are to interact with the people around us. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Obey and teach the commands of God. Do not hate anyone. Do not lust after other people or things. Do not divorce. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Go the extra mile for those who can require you to go one mile. Love your enemies. Then Jesus says be perfect! Be perfect in your dealings with people and love The Lord your God with all your strength.
Obedience and love go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other.
The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.”
John 14:21 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/jhn.14.21.HCSB
This all got me thinking if we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, what else are we to do with all of our heart, soul, mind, or strength?
Worship Him!
“If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the Lord your God and worship Him with all your heart and all your soul, I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and oil. I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be satisfied.
Deuteronomy 11:13-15 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/deu.11.13-15.HCSB
Search and seek for Him!
But from there, you will search for the Lord your God, and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/deu.4.29.HCSB
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/jer.29.13.HCSB
Trust in Him!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/pro.3.5-6.HCSB
Turn to Him!
Even now — this is the Lord’s declaration — turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Joel 2:12 HCSB
https://bible.com/bible/72/jol.2.12.HCSB
Love, worship, seek, search, trust and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength then you will have everything God has promised you!
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