Matthew 22:34-40 "The Greatest Commandment, Part 1"

Read Matthew 22:34-40.

"'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." NIV

Did you really think I'd skip over this passage? Of course not! These few sentences are the heart of all our Christian walk and purpose on this earth; so they are getting two posts.

Today I just want to address the loving God part. Actually, I could use 3 posts to cover heart, soul and mind; four if using Mark's version that includes strength. But I'll try to do it all in one.

This passage says that we are to love God with our entire being. He covers it in each of the parts that we are made of -- heart - emotions; soul - spirit; mind - intellect; and strength is physical body. In every area of our life, we are to live it in love to Him. How do we do that?

Heart: Where do we place our passions and priorities -- our time? Are they in activities that serve Him or serve ourselves? Scripture says that our words come out of our heart. Are my words reflecting a heart devoted to God or do they fall short? If they are not glorifying Him, why not? What in my life have I not surrendered to Him that is controlling my passions? I want my heart to be completely devoted to God and that will be shown by the words I speak and the activities I choose to invest my time in.

Soul: This is our spiritual side; the part that makes me the person that I am. My soul encompasses my personality and God-given gifts. This is the only part of me that will continue on after my body is dead and gone. It's what makes me the individual that God designed me to be. Am I loving Him back with what He gave me to be me? Do I allow my personality to reflect the personality of Christ or do I allow the enemy and sin to distort what God created? Am I using the gifts He placed within me for His glory? I don't have to be in full-time career ministry to minister. My gifts were designed to be used in any job I take so He will be glorified.

Mind: My intellect. What am I filling my mind with? Do I fill it with Truth and Thanksgiving or with lies and the filth of the world? What I read, listen to, and watch will affect my mind and determine if it is turned towards God or towards earthly passions. Another aspect of loving God through surrendering the mind is by not retaining pride in my intellect. Too often we try to figure things out on our own. We rely on education and reasoning skills and don't rely on God's leading and power in our life. That is pride -- the opposite of surrender. In following and loving God with our mind, we must follow the instructions of Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Lord, help me to guard what I put into my mind and to use it only to glorify You through surrender and trust.

Strength: My physical body and it's actions. This one is closely tied with the heart -- my actions and where I spend my time. Am I wasting my strength on things that either are of the world and against what God teaches, or just plain laziness? Or am I working diligently for Him and His purposes? Unfortunately for some, loving God with physical strength means even to death for Him. The Persecuted Church is very real in many countries. To this point, the U.S. has been spared, but our day could be coming. Will I love God with all my physical strength when my faith is put to the test? God, let it be so.

God doesn't command us to love Him on Sunday or in those times that I open my Bible or go to an occasional spiritual retreat. I am to love Him with my whole being all of the time. That is full devotion. It is not just for the church leaders or a special few to follow. He calls all of us to full devotion to Him and His purposes with our entire being.

Lord, if there is any area in my life that is not completely devoted to You, please reveal it to me so I can surrender it to You. I want every part of my being to glorify You and You alone.

Further Thoughts:

1. This is a very short synopsis of this verse. Do further studies in the Scriptures and commentaries on the heart, soul, mind, and strength and all they encompass.
2. Does God demand full devotion? Support your answer with Scripture.
3. Examine your own life. In each of these areas, how are you doing? Remember, not that every activity in our life must be centered around something spiritual. For example, working out at the gym. How can I love God with my workout? I'm taking care of the body that He gave me to use for His glory -- keeping it healthy. I can develop relationships with others in the gym -- relationships that may possibly lead to salvations. I can simply show the love of Christ to others while I am in the gym through my actions and attitude. Even in sweaty workout clothes, I can be Christ with skin on to someone who needs to see Jesus.
4. Make a list of your activities and how you can love God through them.
5. Are there areas in your life that you are not loving God? If you aren't sure, ask Him to reveal them. Then change them. You can choose to live in full devotion. Choose this day who you will serve and then do it with everything you've got.

Matthew 13:44-46 "Treasure of the Heart"

Read Matthew 13:44-46.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field." NIV

Now of course Jesus is not saying here that salvation can be purchased. Neither is He saying that you must go out and sell everything you have to follow Jesus. It's a parable, not literal directions.
What He is saying is something every one of us should evaluate for our own lives. He's saying that our devotion to Christ should be of such priority and importance that it has first place in our lives. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is second to following Christ. Our spouse, our children, our friends, our careers, our possessions, our hobbies, our personal comfort, our goals, our recreation, our dreams all fall behind following Christ. And in doing so, we are demonstrating to God that He is first in our life and to others the true value that the kingdom of heaven holds in our lives. He is the treasure that we must hold dear and protect at all cost. Nothing and no one takes precedence over Him.

I probably should evaluate this daily, but at least periodically, look at each area of my life and ask this question, "Am I putting ___________ in front of God?" Sometimes, the thing may be a worthy activity that serves Him. But if I am placing greater importance on the act of service to God than on being His obedient follower, my priorities are out of whack. Our schedule of activities each day and our checkbook tell exactly where we rank our priorities. If I am not being a servant of Jesus Christ in everything I do, I've got it all wrong.

Now in many ways this is an attitude of the heart and my Christianity defining who I am. For example, we have to work to live. It's simply a fact of life - no work, no money, then no food or housing. But because I am a follower of Christ and all followers are called to be ministers of the gospel, I can be a follower while doing my job. I don't set aside my very essence as a believer in Jesus Christ so I can go do my job. I do my job as a believer in Jesus Christ. I work hard; keep respectful, cooperative, healthy relationships with my co-workers and clients; I am a person of integrity, humility and grace. I share the love of Christ simply through my actions and attitudes or through, more overtly, telling them about Jesus. That is doing my job with Christ first in my life.

Therefore, I must be willing to give up everything for Christ. Before anyone or anything, He is my treasure and my life is the pedestal on which to display His glory.

Further Thoughts:

1. Look in a concordance for the word "treasure." Compare and contrast God's definition of a treasure with the world's.
2. Define "lord." If Christ is Lord of your life, how does that make Him your treasure? What parts of your heart need to change to be in line with His lordship?
3. Evaluate your day yesterday. Did you live it with Christ as the priority? Was there anything in your day that was contrary to Christ? If yes, why? Do you need to seek forgiveness for any attitudes or actions?
4. Is Christ your treasure? If so, how does that play out in your every day life? What does that mean for the priorities of your heart?

Matthew 12:30-37 "Heart words"

Read Matthew 12:30-37.

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." NIV

Words are so difficult to control -- at least for me. I've gotten better as I have gotten older, but words can escape my mouth way beyond their bidding. And a hastily spoken word cannot be retrieved. It's out there like a black cloud floating between the conversers and will hover until a better word dispels the darkness. But what really concerns me is this "words coming from the heart" thing. If poorly spoken words come out of my mouth, I know that there is something in my heart that is not right, and I need to get with my Father on it.

In science we learn that something cannot be made from nothing. You must have a beginning substance. For good to come out of my mouth, I must have good within my heart, that fuels my thoughts, that formulates my words. If good is not coming out in my words, then there is sin in my heart that is being revealed through my mouth. That's when I must seek my Father to reveal my sin to me, face that sin as being real, ask for His forgiveness, and turn over that part of my heart to Him. It's sort of like spiritual surgery -- cut out the bad part and replace it with new. Then the body can function as it is designed to do.

Lord, guard my words. If there is anything in my heart that needs excising, please reveal it to me so I can confess and repent. I want my heart sold out to You and You alone. Let my words reflect that commitment.

Further Thoughts:

1. How does God's Word protect my heart and mouth? Read Psalm 119: 9, 11, 105.
2. If Christ is the Living Word (John 1:1, 14) and He lives in me, then what words should my mouth produce? If they don't, then there is an area of my heart I have not surrendered to Christ. Ask the Lord if there is an area you need to surrender. He will reveal it to you if you will listen with a humble heart.
3. This passage used the analogy of the good fruit coming from a good tree. Read John 15:1-17 and Galatians 5:22-26 for more on the fruit.
4. Psalm 19:14 is a great way to begin every day and every conversation.