Love the Lord your God

Good Morning,

Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV)
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
"Teacher, 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.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Whether or not we think that the old covenant, the law in the Old Testament, is or is not still viable, I believe that we can agree that what we read today, from the mouth of the Lord, would pretty much encompass what we need to do in order to abide in what God's law and/or laws. Simply, to love. So, let us not get into the laws or, as it's stated "The Law", and just think about what Jesus told us in these verses from Matthew. (Something else to think about is the fact that this situation in the life of Jesus is mentioned in three of the four Gospels. Also, in Mark and Luke is added..."with all your strength..." in how we ought to love God.)

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...Love your neighbor as yourself."

So, I guess what we'd have to give thought to is whether or not we do, really, love in the way that Jesus was talking about.

I'm not going into a long dissertation on how we ought to love God and one another. That is something that has been written about by much greater minds than mine. There have been books written by any number of people about it. So, for me to try to add something to them or to bring out something new would be rather ridiculous, in my opinion.

Today what I think we need to do, every one of us, is to seek the answer as to whether or not we love as we should; as Jesus told the Pharisees they ought to fulfill The Law.

Do I love God with ALL my heart, with ALL my soul, with ALL my mind, and with ALL my strength? Do I REALLY love my neighbor as myself? For me? Well, the answer wouldn't be a resounding "Yes" I'm afraid. I think that would be true of pretty much all of us. So, what comes to my mind next, seeing as how I fail somewhat in loving as I should, what comes next is asking myself whether or not I'm even trying, giving thought to, making the attempt at loving like Jesus says I should. Again, I'd have to say I fail even in this, at least I'm not successful 100% of the time. And, once again, I think that most of us would fall into this category.

All I can do, and all I think any of us can do, is really the most that we can do. That would be to simply go to God in prayer and ask His forgiveness for our failures, and of course for our sins. And to ask Him to send the Holy Spirit even stronger into our lives to help us to love as He would have us love. To love Him and to love our neighbors. A Godly love. The love of Jesus Christ in our lives. Just as He loves us.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David