- The greatest commandment tells us — in some version — to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind (Deut. 6: 5; Mt. 22: 37; Mk. 12: 30; Lk. 10: 27). Heart is always mentioned first and is always mentioned (How Do Mature Disciples Control Our Dispositions?).
- Worldview people think that the outward morality alone will turn us into mountain-climbing disciples. The only way we will be admitted into His presence is with a pure inward disposition. We only get there when we curb our sinful desires. The only qualifications used for mountain climbers deal with our hearts, minds, and souls. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6: 5 ESV). If our heart isn’t in it, we aren’t participating in religious activities. If our heart is only focused on this world, it isn’t religious (What Is Purity to a Disciple of Christ?).
- But look at the third word of Deuteronomy 6: 5: must. We probably have issues with that on two levels. The first level is we generally don’t want anyone to tell us we must do anything. We want to make up our own minds. The second level is the must may confuse people since we’ve talked free will in the past. How can we reconcile dictatorship with independence? (How Do We Love God?).
- Once we have exercised our free will and chosen Jesus as our Savior and God as our Sovereign Lord, this becomes Commandment #1. The other way to look at it is this will be the criteria by which the sheep and the goats are judged (Mt. 25: 31-46). When this earth ends (and it will end), Jesus will judge the nations (Rev. 20: 12-13) based on whether our names are in the book of life or not (How Do We Love God?).
- So, yep. In the end, it is going to be a must for everyone (How Do We Love God?).
- God wants to be Master of our whole selves – mind, body and soul. He doesn’t want us to keep certain areas of our sinful nature. He wants us to turn everything over to Him. “You must love him with allof your heart, soul, and might” (Deut. 6: 5 LB emphasis added) (What Parts of Us Does God Want?).
Love
- We have to love God first and foremost. Even before loving others. This is what the gospel is all about (The Ideal Family).
- Above all else, we need to individually love God. We have to be totally submitted to God. We have to be following His directives. We have to be all in. Then, we need to love and worship God as a family (The Ideal Family).
- We are to grow our character to imitate Him. That means we are to be love, also — His type of love. When we are God’s type of love, our family dynamics are totally different (The Ideal Family).
- God loves us so much He wants to restore the relationship with us. Jesus didn’t want heaven without us (How Do We Love God?).
- “And you must love the LORD your God …” (Deut. 6: 5 NLT emphasis added) indicates possession. We possess His love. God wants our love. This is because God is love (I Jn. 4: 8). This doesn’t mean God won’t judge us. He will. This doesn’t mean He isn’t vengeful because He is (How Do We Love God?).
- The love that God can show toward us is not like any love we have seen here on earth. We may think a certain person is loving, but God is infinitely more loving than that person. That makes it hard for us to comprehend that kind of love (How Do We Love God?).
Heart
- Change has to come from our heart. We are commanded to love God with all our hearts (Deut. 6: 5) (Why Should We Study Scriptures?).
Soul
- Sometimes, do we think heart and soul are interchangeable? Jeremiah 29: 13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (NIV). But we are also told we are supposed to seek God with all our souls. “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 4: 29 NIV) (How Do We Love God?).
Strength
- Sometimes, strength is translated as might. We are to love God with all our might (How Do We Love God?).
- God is not looking for us to go part way. He is not calling us to a part-time relationship. He is not calling us to a conditional relationship (although there are certain requirements). God wants us to be all in (How Do We Love God?).
- God knows we need strength to resist Satan’s temptation. We just have to make sure it is His strength, and not our own (How Do We Love God?).
- This is talking about a strong love. We need a strong love for God so that we can resist Satan. We have to be strong enough to conquer our fears (How Do We Love God?).
- We can’t be timid. If we are, Satan will walk right over us and cause us to sin (How Do We Love God?).
- This is also talking about strength so that we can serve our Father in whatever ways He call us. We’ve got to be strong enough to handle all the disappointments (How Do We Love God?).
Mind
- Wow! Don’t we value our minds! To us, that is what makes us individuals. Yes, we generally look different, but we don’t have a lot of control over that (How Do We Love God?).
- Our minds house our thoughts and beliefs. It is where we understand. We will use our minds to decide to ask Jesus to be our Savior and Redeemer and give control of our lives over to our Sovereign God (How Do We Love God?).
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