Today I want to begin a new series of articles, written over the
next two weeks, based on Mark 12:30. I
hope you will join me as we explore the question, “What does it mean to love the
Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?”
Since this is an important question, one that many of us may have
asked ourselves, we’ll begin by looking at the text on which we will be focused.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark
12:30)
People are always looking for things to captivate them and bring a
sense of fulfillment. It’s interesting that, when Jesus lays out the most
important commandment for mankind, He starts with loving the Lord with ALL of
your heart.
I would think that if we are told to love the Lord with all our heart
that we ought to pursue its meaning. What does that mean to love God with
all our heart and how do we go about doing it? These are questions that need to be clearly
answered. This verse means to love God
with your emotions. Praising Him with
your happiness and gratitude is easy when things are going well. Like when you observe an answer to prayer or
one of life’s good gifts comes your way, but how about when things aren’t going
so well? ALL your heart means at ALL
times. Even when God seems quiet. Even when He says wait. And even when He says no.
And, yes, even when bad things happen. Continuing to love God even when bad things
happen or when good things don’t happen is key to a life of contentment. You don’t have to be happy for the bad
thing. You just have to see through that bad circumstance to the God who wants
to comfort you and will never leave you nor forsake you.
The arena of the heart contains powerful emotions, affections and
desires. Our affections are deep currents that steer our lives. Think of them as a rudder of a ship that
literally directs it. To determine where
our affections lie, we have to determine what occupies our time, what motivates
our actions, and what shapes our ambitions and their rewards. Affections wait to be captured. They long to
cling to someone or something. Wherever
these affections are found so our hearts will be.
The devotion of our hearts is determined by wherever we find value
as our greatest treasure. In Matthew
6:21 we are reminded, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will
also be.”
Read this again slowly. “For
where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” I would suggest memorizing this short phrase. Jesus just gave us the answer on how to love
God with all our hearts. The heart loves what it treasures! We have to seek a great treasure, and when we
discover it, love (the result of our affections) follows. Ironic, isn’t it? The treasure comes first,
and the heart comes second.
For the Apostle Paul, Jesus was THE
treasure of his life. The loss of
everything else was nothing compared to gaining Christ. He wrote in Philippians 3:8, “What is more, I
consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish
that I may gain Christ.” In Ephesians
3:8 Paul says, “Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this
grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…”
Here is a picture of a man who found a treasure that exceeds all
others–Jesus. Nothing else comes close! The
glory of Jesus is so amazing and so satisfying that once discovered, all else
pales in comparison. When we divert our
attention away from the Lord, our love will begin to grow cold. It’s that simple. A lethargic church can be traced back to
hearts that have misplaced affections. The greatest treasure is no longer Christ
but something or someone else.
In order for the heart to love Jesus completely, it has to
treasure Him supremely. Our affections
are the outcome of what we treasure. When we truly encounter the Lord in His glory
and worth, loving Him with all our hearts will be the end result.
Spend Time with the Lord and Let His Light Shine in Your Heart
“For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"
made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians
4:6-7)
Only through the persistent gaze on the face of the Lord and His
glory do the streams of light pierce our hearts with the same power and force
that surround His throne. (See Revelation 4:5)
Start Now – Initial Steps To Consider
1) We have to decide to pursue Him. Just pray to the Lord, “Jesus, I long
for You to be my ultimate treasure. Help me and give me power to do so!” Pray this often throughout the day.
2) Start with the Bible. Open
it and search out what it says about the glory of who Jesus is and what He has
done. If you don’t know where to
start, just go to the Gospels.
3) Make adjustments. What is
it you are going to do daily that will allow you to grow into this reality?
4) Write it down. Schedule
it.
5) Be with Him. He delights in you. He wants to be with you and reveal Himself to
you. He enjoys you! Set time aside to be
with Him only.
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you
to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own life.
change in your own life.
Discover how you can find peace
with God.
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