Whom do you love? Do you love your parents and grandparents? Do you love your siblings? Do you love your spouse? Do you love your friends? Do you love your neighbor? Do you show your love? Do you love God? Do you show your love for Him?
We often say we love people. We also say we love God. But what does that love look like? Are we doing things that demonstrates that love to others? It is easy for us to say words. Sometimes our words hurt and at other times our words heal or lift others up.
To love God as Jesus wants us to love Him is to lift God up and show Him to others. This takes on many different forms. One of those forms is to love our neighbors, or those around us. In loving those around us and showing that love, we show we love God as well.
Does this mean we always have to agree? No. However, we are to disagree in love, which means without the anger, hatred, disrespect, and jealousy that often comes with disagreement and selfishness. Yes, selfishness is involved due to our desire to view ourselves as better than someone else or being in the right that is often the genesis of the disagreement.
How can we correct our behavior? First, we need to love God with all that we are. As we see in today’s passage, it means loving God with our heart, soul, strength, and mind. How can we do that? It is summed up in one word—submission. Submitting to God in everything we do, including our actions, thoughts, and words.
When we submit to God in love for Him, He changes us from the inside out. He changes our view of this world by changing our heart. He fills our soul with His Spirit. He gives us the strength, both physical and spiritual, to stay the course and show His love to others. God’s Spirit will fill our minds with His desire, His will.
So, if we truly love God with all we are, we will be changed. We need to be willing to change, change for the better. When we are willing to change, God goes work and we see our lives improve in diverse ways.
I pray we all decide to love God with our whole being. I pray we all submit to God and allow Him to change us into the person He wants us to be. Submit to God. Love God. Love your neighbor. Be changed.
Luke 10:27-28 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
Marty Pressey 