What Does Jesus Have to Say?
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, & with all your mind.’ This is the first & greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law & the Prophets.”
(Matthew 22:36-40) (emphasis mine)
What a Striving for Holiness Looks Like
Have you ever stopped & taken a moment to consider what the implications are behind that passage?
What does this passage teach us about what God cares about?
Jesus shows us here both what God cares about & simultaneously what a pursuit of holiness looks like—to seek to have everything you feel, do, & think be that which seeks to honor & please God…. & to actively seek how we may love those around us just as much as we look out for ourselves & our own needs.
This quick passage is so powerful… it is so succinct in its summarizing of God’s commands, because as we seek to love God with our everything, we will, in turn, seek to not do what dishonors or displeases Him…. While highlighting just how important those around us are to Him, & the importance of seeking to love them as we love ourselves.
Not My Default… For Sure!
I don’t know about you, but those are definitely not my default settings. My sin nature glares at me some (most) days to just seek my own will & way, based on what I decide I think or want in any given moment.
My default is self-absorbed laziness on the couch with snacks & a nonstop binging of a good show—NOT seeking to actively love others. I feel I have enough to be concerned about my own life that I just don’t have the time, energy, patience, or care to also look out for others.
A Whole Lot of Everythings
But God is clear in this Matthew 22 passage that I shared above… What HE cares about is that we make Him number ONE in EVERYTHING… Everything we FEEL… Everything we DO… & Everything we THINK…. That’s a whole lot of everythings.
And that the second greatest thing He cares about is that we seek to love others as we love ourselves.
Oof.
That doesn’t blend well with my default settings/desires to look out for numero uno & stay cozy in my insecure-driven comfort zones.
God Knows Best–ALWAYS–100%
But what a blessed life it is when we commit to live out these commands from Matthew 22.
It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not a one-time decision, but rather a daily one.
It’s not even something we can force to happen… without God’s help.
It takes consistent surrender… Consistent repentance… Consistent reminders that He ALWAYS knows best, 100%, even when we think we know better.
And yet I fight it. Every day. Sometimes it’s in little ways & other times it’s the big things… but it’s every day.
Surrender. Repent. Obey-with God’s Help.
I have to constantly, consistently remember to surrender (& surrender to His help, it is, because oftentimes I would rather stay as I am & not have Him help me do otherwise)… to say something like:
“God, I am sorry. I feel Your gentle nudge on my heart that I need to show love here, but I’m intimidated. What if I’m hearing You wrong? What if they don’t want my help? What if I make them cringe at me, like, ‘do I LOOK like I need your help?’ Oh, LORD, please help me trust that You care more about that person than me being trapped by my fears & insecurities. Help me trust You to help me. Give me the words to say. Give me courage. I’m sorry for letting my fear dictate my actions more than my faith in You. Help me. In Jesus’ name, I pray… AMEN.”
Sometimes, it sounds more like this:
“God, I know this is a responsibility You have put before me. I’m sorry my fleshly nature is resisting it. I’m sorry that I want to listen to it over You. Help change my perspective. Put the desire in me to do Your will over mine. You know better EVERY time. Help me remember that & help me obey even when it just feels easier to live for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray… AMEN.”
Surrender. Repentance. Obedience (with an asking for God’s help).
He Proves Himself Deserving Time & Time & Time Again
These commands of His, to us, on which all other commands hang, sound like such a tall order… impossible even… & they are… Without God’s help… without asking God to BE your help.
He renews. He transforms. He grows our faith in Him… as we walk in obedience to His will & His way.
And as we walk in that obedience—seeking to love Him with all that we are & to love others as we love ourselves—He proves His deserving of it time & time & time again.
The Bible (God’s Word) Says….
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children & walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us & gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering & sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2) (emphasis mine)
“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 1:6) (emphasis mine)
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy & dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness & patience. Bear with each other & forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14) (emphasis mine)
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)
A Lifelong Pursuit That God Works Out within Us As We Submit to His Help
Loving God with everything is not easy. It will be a lifelong pursuit of allowing God to weed things out of your heart & mind & routines to replace with that which pleases & honors Him.
Loving others like ourselves is not easy. It will be a ride of selfishness to surrender, pride to humility, insecurity to faith that God will grow in you as you are willing to take your resistance &/or fears to Him for His help.
But while those 2 commands may be so impossibly hard some days, a surrender to be willing to let God love through you makes it possible.
Surrender. Repentance. Obedience (with God’s help).
Shine Hope by being willing to surrender to God’s help in putting your love for Him first & in always determining to love others just as you love yourself.
Coming Next Week
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Silver Medallion Necklace (India)
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