God is Love

God is Love

Complying with The Greatest Commandment

In Matthew 22: 35-39, he tells the story of a local expert in the Jewish law who asks Jesus a question – “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

So why is it so hard to honor the greatest commandment Jesus tells the lawyer (and everyone else who reads this passage)? I read it as Jesus is giving me very plain instruction to just give all of myself; my heart, my soul and my mind, to God. That seems pretty simple to me. But, man, it is hard to do all the time, isn’t it?

Give God your undivided attention is what Jesus is telling us to do in this passage. Nevertheless, our complex daily lives seem to get in the way of staying focused on God sometimes. I believe we all find it challenging to stay focused on God, or for that matter, most anything in our busy lives nowadays. Even in worship on Sunday mornings, as the pastor is preaching a wonderful, thought-provoking sermon, we can find ourselves distracted in thinking about what to do that Sunday afternoon or the rest of the week.

Don’t Miss Out on the Big Picture

Sometimes, it’s just too easy to get distracted by the little things in life that really don’t matter in the long haul. For example, fretting about being perfect in every situation, down to the minutest level of detail, which probably no one else ever notices. By expending so much time on the trivial things, we miss out on the big picture, the teachable moment, the feedback that could improve your life and those of other people.

Why Do We Care about Other’s Opinions

So why do so many of us strive so hard for perfection? Are we so worried that one small item out of place, one misspelled word (“…is that with 2 S’s or 1?”) in a paragraph, will bring a torrent of disdain raining down from the lofty opinion pedestals we place others (friends, colleagues, bosses, parents, siblings, in-laws) in our lives? Do we exist to only feel good, loved or validated when we’re rewarded by another person’s compliment on our fashion decision, automobile purchase, or the great prose we’ve written in hopes it will generate a million “likes” on Facebook? Perhaps we care too much and mistakenly place too much value on other people’s “opinions”, thus causing us to irrationally do anything to be “liked” and accepted. Don’t give in to that notion; you have a choice. You do not have to give anyone that power over you as to whether or not you are loved and accepted.

There is a Better Place to Receive Love

There is an alternative. There is one place you can turn to and never have to be anxious or concerned about being loved and accepted; that place is with God. For you see, GOD is LOVE. Love is at the very core of God’s being. The Great I AM is where Love is generated for everything and every person God has created. Every living thing, from the smallest cell to the largest living organism (whale, human, tree, etc.), is made with God’s love as the core element. His love in embedded in everything, because everything in His divine order has a purpose – to serve somewhere or someone in the universe.

And as God is endless, His love for us is also endless. He never stops loving you and me, No Matter What. We are all “highly valued” children of God; and by His very nature, He cannot, not love us. He may not “like” our behavior at times when we sin, but He never turns His back on us, never abandons us, or forsakes us. And best of all, when we realize our sinfulness, and confess our discretions, He forgives us and wipes the memory card clean!! I’ve struggled to fully understand how that happens, but I’m oh so grateful that it does happen. It’s taken me many years to work through some previous hurts and disappointments to finally change my “unforgiveness” to “forgiveness”. But it was well worth it!! That burden has been removed and my heart has been set free. What a tremendous feeling of joy!!

Having that burden lifted enables me to then focus my attention on the first greatest commandment, which provides me the opportunity to strengthen my relationship with God. Distractions decrease as I feel His presence in my life again. My attention is not on ME anymore, and what I want; but I can now listen to what He wants of me; the purpose of my life. Making this change in focus also enables me to better obey the second greatest commandment – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

God’s Love is the Most Sufficient

When we take this approach, our previous self-centered heart is turned inside out, to give love, attention, and care for others in our lives. God’s love is now sufficient for me. I don’t have to rely on being validated and accepted by other people to reciprocate with my love. With God’s love surrounding me, I’m now capable of loving others equal to or better than I love myself.

As much as we seek to fulfill Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for ourselves, following the second greatest commandment, means that we look to help others complete their hierarchy of needs as well. It can become a Team effort with each person helping another accomplish his or her mission in life. One person’s actions may impact one or many other people’s lives. The more attention and actions we contribute in accommodating other people’s needs, the less focus we place on our needs. That’s love in action. This is approaching the level of “agape love” which Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13, roughly defines as “putting the needs of others ahead of one’s own needs.” Serving others above self is not for personal glory, promotion, or selfish ambition. The whole point is that by serving others, you are serving God.

Serving God will Impact Other People

I believe that was the point in Jesus’s words to the Jewish law expert. Live to serve God and others, not yourself. The impact your life has on other people’s lives is the most important aspect of your life. That’s what Jesus did during His time on earth. By His unselfish sacrifice, Jesus saved the world for all eternity. His focus was on serving God, and by obeying His command to die on the cross, enabled eternal salvation for all mankind.

Ask God to soften your heart during this month of Love, and turn the love that God has put in your heart outward to be shared with other people in your world. Help make a difference in their life and yours through sharing of God’s love.

Live, Learn, and Grow in Jesus.

— Jerry