What we read in this verse is the summary of religion. It contains the first principles of faith and obedience. There is but one living and true God. Therefore, we should never desire to have another. How blessed is the person who has this one Lord as their God? It is better to have one flowing fountain than a thousand empty cisterns. It is better to have one sufficient friend than a thousand insufficient friends. Jesus said this is the greatest commandment. Mt 22:36,37 What does it mean to love with all our heart, soul, and mind?
We must love God with all our heart. The heart is basically the center of physical, mental, and spiritual life of mankind. It first means the physical organ and was understood as the center of physical life. As the center of physical life it became to stand for the person as a whole. The heart became the focus of all vital functions of the body, both physical and spiritual. So when we are to love God with all our heart, we are to make him the vital focus of our lives. As I taught this week in a message, God must be the dominant principle in our lives. That is loving God with all our heart. Having God as anything less in our lives is not loving with all our hearts. Satan only has to make God second in our life, not last!!
We must love God with all our soul. The soul designates our physical life. Often we read of the soul hungering, thirsting, or being satisfied. Ps 107:5,9 The soul means the entire human being in that it is hungry, thirsty, and needy. Mt 6:25 We must have a hunger and thirst for God's Will in our lives. Jesus says something similar in Mt 5:6 You see, putting these first two together tells a lot about how to love God already. We love God when he is the focus of our entire life. When God is our dominating principle. We love Him when we focus on Him and not our physical needs like food and clothing! (Mt 6:33) That is loving God with all your heart and soul. There is one more aspect of loving God that we have not discussed yet.
We must love God with all our might. This is referring to all of our outgoing energies and vital powers. In other words, anything we exert energy on is to be in the Lord. This includes our occupations. Col 3:23 This is telling us that God must be in all energy we exert during our day. We should do nothing without it being for the Lord. We work not only for tithes but to help the less fortunate. That is how we include God in all we do. Paul told the Church in Ephesus that the thieves should steal no more and get a job. He even told why to get a job. To help those in need. Eph 4:28 Too many people are working to support their own needs alone and that is not loving God with all your might. That is loving self with all your might. Consider what pure religion is in Jas 1:27 Pure religion and loving God with all your might is exerting all of our energy, or physical activity, that is according to and focused on God's Will.
So if we are to employ Dt 6:5 in our lives today, if we are to love the Lord God with all our hearts, souls, and might we must do the following. We must focus our entire life on God. God must be the dominant principle of our life. We must put God before our personal needs. We should have no fear in doing this because God promises that he will supply those needs if we seek first His kingdom. We must exert all of our energy on God. All of our daily activities we do must revolve around God. That, my friends, is loving God with all your heart, soul, and might.
Today, I encourage to totally focus on God as the dominant principle of you life by having your physical activities focused on God and not your personal needs because God will provide those for you. Show someone you are a Christian, don't tell them! I ask you to love God with all you heart, soul, and might!
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
Hear The Word- Rom 10:17; Acts 4:4
We Must Believe or Have Faith- Heb 11:6; Acts 16:31
We Must Repent- Lk 13:3; Acts 17:30
We Must Confess Christ Before Others- Mt 10:32; Acts 8:37
We Must Be Immersed Into Christ (Baptized)- 1Pe 3:21; Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38
We Must Remain Faithful- Rev 2:10; Acts 14:22
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