Faithful to love
“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28b-31 (NIV)
Ever notice the inconvenience of the day-to-day matters of life? Car repairs (that usually come as a major surprise), long lines in the drive-through (c’mon, it’s called fast food for a reason), thunder, lightning and pouring rain at your daughter’s beautifully planned outdoor wedding, ice on the runway, two-factor authentication, smoke alarms that always malfunction in the middle of the night, the list goes on and on. How do you respond when these things happen? I don’t usually get angry. I can usually sluff those off. There are people starving and struggling far worse all over the world, I remind myself. But something happens in my soul as these small annoyances pile up—one after the other throughout the week. These things not only wreck my schedule, they also distract me—slowly lure me away—from the two most important things in life—spending time with God and seeking to meet the needs of others.
There are many, many examples in Scripture of people living out (and not living out) these commandments. One of the greatest examples is Moses, who loved others as he…
- Interceded for the people—even when they wronged him (Exodus 32:32).
- Bore with the Israelites’ complaints and rebellion (Numbers 14:27).
- Taught and led them with great patience (Deuteronomy 30:19).
- Pleaded with God in tears over their sin (Deuteronomy 9:18).
- Inspired the Israelites to endure (Deuteronomy 8:2).
Today’s Scripture is meant to inspire us toward a deep devotion for the things of God. This passage is recentering for me. It’s a call to lift my gaze (attention, devotion and often obsessive preoccupation) from the things of this world and to focus on things that matter most. Let’s face it, some things are more important than others. Let’s become people who are faithful to love.
APPLICATION: Reread today’s Scripture. Allow it to recenter you. Think of one way you can be faithful to love today. Then take action with all your heart!
PRAYER: Lord, Your love is more precious than gold. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Fill my heart with deeper devotion to You and continue growing me into a person who is faithful to love. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?