"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5.
This is a powerful command given by God because it is the top priority of a Christian. Now, some would say, "don't forget the golden rule! Love your neighbor as yourself!" Yes, this is our golden rule when we go out into society and represent Christ; but how can we love others if we do not first properly love God? How can we show God's love if we cannot reciprocate it, or at least to the best of our ability. It is critical that we, as Christians, love God.
We see that love is critical to God. Not only do all of His commandments create a loving human, but it is so important that we know this commandment, that when Moses was giving it, he said, "these commands that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your forehead. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
This commandment was so important that God wants us to have it everywhere. He wants it in our homes, in our streets, in our beds, in our conversations, in our children, and in our hearts. He wants us to know this one. He put the ten commandments on stone tablets for everyone to see, but He wants us to implant this one in the whole world. This is a critical command!
What does it even mean though? To love God with all of your heart means to give Him everything. It does not just mean make Him first priority, but make Him the paramount priority. Put Him high above all else; and give Him such importance that you think of Him and consider Him in everything you do. He would not just have a position in your life, but the supreme position in your life. It simply means to love Him more than anything else.
To love God with all of your soul, which also means your mind, means to consider Him in your integrity. In your secret thought life where no one can hear or see, put God first even there. Let your love for Him not just be outward, but inward as well. It means to let your thoughts not be contradictory of Him.
To love God with all of your strength means to devote everything that you do to His glory. When you put your hand to something, do not use any of your strength to blaspheme or dishonor the name of God. Basically, make sure that everything you do honors God. This also means fighting temptations and growing into a God loving and fearing Christian.
Over all, this means to put God first and honor Him. Are we following this command now? Are we putting this command in our homes? In our streets? In our businesses? In our work? In our families? In our friends? How about in ourselves? Where is God first in your life; and where He is not first, what is above Him and why?
-D
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