"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." Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)
While Jesus was in the temple courts teaching, the priests and the elders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, came to Him and question His authority. (Matthew 21:23) He answered them and then spoke two parables. When they heard Him, they knew that He was talking about them and they wanted to discredit Him and arrest Him. (Matthew 22:45-46) These were the words which Jesus spoke in response to a question from one of the Pharisees, who along with the Sadducees, were trying to trap Him in His words. (Matthew 22:15 and 23) Jesus told them that they should love God with all of their heart, soul, and mind, basically with their entire being. They didn't, wouldn't, and couldn't do that.
We say that we love The Lord, but our actions do not always support our words. We try to show others that we love Him by getting busy and doing thing in the local church. The church groups that we are in, and the church activities that we participate in, do not equate to loving The Lord. If we do not read His Word and live by His Word, then all that we do on Sunday in and for the local church does not matter. The question that we ask ourselves should not be, "Am I doing enough for God?" The question that we should ask ourselves is, "Am I living as God wants me to live?" Some times we get so caught up in what we are doing, that we forget the purpose which we are doing it for. If we focus on growing closer to Him, and show Him that we love Him by living His Word, then He will lead us to opportunities to demonstrate that love by helping others, and not just in church on Sunday. All that we say and do everyday, should be done to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Jesus, The Christ, said, if you love Me, you will live by My Word. (John 14:15) He also said, how can you say that you love Me if you do not live by My Word. (1 John 2:4) He that does not live by My Words, does not love Me. (John 14:24) We need to love The Lord God with all of our heart, our soul, and our mind, and our behavior should reflect this. (Deuteronomy 6:5, Joshua 22:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27)
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