love the Lord your God
with all your heart
Deuteronomy 6:5
This week we are looking at Deuteronomy 6, specifically the command in verse 5 to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” Today, we ask, How do we love God with all our heart?
Here’s the simplest way to evaluate what you love the most: Look at what you love, what you prioritize, what you “treasure.” That’s Jesus’ own instruction. In the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 6:41 – Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.”
What do you love the most?
How do you really spend your time? For example, do you serve yourself more than serving your neighbor? Do you spend more time with your television than in God’s Word? Do we talk to ourselves more in our heads – solving problems, worrying about situations, or harboring frustrations – or do we talk to God more in earnest prayer? How about this: Are you more concerned with today’s news than God’s prophecy? What really is your treasure?
Ouch!
Honestly, that’s one of the scariest evaluations that I ever do! It’s not that I don’t love God and it’s not that God doesn’t love me, but I am constantly shortchanging myself, my family, our church, and God’s Kingdom by being weak, distracted, and double-hearted.
If you (and I) want more love, joy, and peace, (and patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), what do you know you ought to cut out and what do you know you ought to prioritize?
In Christ’s Love,
a guy who is working at
turning off and tuning in
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