A Pharisee asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment in the Law. (The Pharisees were always concerned with laws. They had classified over 600 laws to govern the people.) Jesus answered, “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. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40

What does it mean to love God with all my heart, soul and mind?

• Heart, soul and mind is what makes me, me. Loving Him with my heart, soul and mind is loving with all that I am. This is loving without holding back, without self protection.
  
• To love God that much, I will have to read the Bible, devouring His word, to find out Who God is.
  
• I will have to make time for regular quiet time to contemplate God’s word and to pray. In fact, I will hunger for that time.
  
• Nothing will be more important to me than God and knowing what He wants for me.
  
• With every decision I make, I will ask myself, is this what God approves?
  
  • I will follow God’s law even when it seems more logical to do something else.
    
  • There will be things that I refuse to do even when everybody else is doing it.
    
  • Sometimes, I may lose money by following the guidelines in the Bible.
    
  • Loving God means giving up what I want for what He wants. It means asking Him to change me and to shape me to want what He wants.

What does it mean to love my neighbor as myself?

• I would want the same for others as I want for myself.
  
• I would eagerly give to those who are less fortunate than I am.
  
• I would happily give up my place in line at the grocery store.
  
• I would always be understanding and forgiving when I’m cut off in traffic.
  
• I would not judge anyone no matter what they look like or what they do for a living.
  
• I would always consider others more important than myself.
  
• I would never hold a grudge or seek revenge for injury.

It seems that life, in keeping with God’s will, can be navigated by asking two questions.
In every decision in life, at every crossroad, ask; “How can this help me to love God more?” and “How can this help me to love others more?” Simpler than remembering the 600 laws of the Pharisees but not so easy, given my tendency to think of myself first. The good news is that, God loves a heart that is devoted to these two commandments and with His help, I can do anything.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World:
Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life (Revised Edition with New Bible Study)
at Amazon.com