Love God
- By letting Him love all of you
[Love The Lord
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:37-39 KJV
According to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek word for “Love” is, ‘agapaō’ (G25) which means, “To love (in a social or moral sense.)” It is your choice to Love God. Jesus declares in Matthew 22:37 to, “Love God with all of your heart.” Notice that Jesus uses the word, “All”. Jesus declares, to love God with all of your heart.
What part of your heart have you not given over to Christ? What portion of your life have you kept away from Him? Choose to surrender every aspect of your heart over to God. Surrender every area of your life over to Christ. Choose to love God and surrender your life over to Him. Yield to God’s Way of doing things. Let His Word search every area of your heart. Let His Word strengthen your character. Let His Love transform you. Let His Love transform the way you think about others.
Matthew 22:37-39 AMPC expounds on the Words of Christ this way, “And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). [Deut. 6:5.] This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. [Lev. 19:18.]” Love the Lord with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). Choose to let your heart, talents, gifts, abilities, and intellect reflect the love of God. Let the work of your hands reflect His Love and Character.]
By Vance K Jackson
My Notes:
"What area of your heart have you not given to God?" For me, that was often a scary question to hear. The shame and guilt in me, like the "tattle tale" in a classroom, would raise its hand and point to me - my sins, faults and often uncontrollable urges and desires.
I did love God. Yet certain vices, addictions and “sins” seemed to be signs that I didn’t fully love God. And the ‘accuser’ in my mind made certain to point this out to me.
I was very much aware of the "sins" that I needed to give to God. In fact I had given them to him, thousands of times. I just always seemed to need them back. Leading me to believe that I didn't love Him like I should. I couldn't figure it out. “How do I give 'those areas' to Him?”
More recently I have realized that the "sins" are not 'those areas'. They are only symptoms, or signs, pointing to the deeper and true areas that needed to be given to Him. I kept trying to give Him the "sins", but never realized that it was my deeper fears & beliefs; of inadequacy, loneliness, rejection, etc., that were the culprit behind my "sins". I was unaware, deceived of the fact that these deeper areas, wounds & beliefs even existed.
Once I found them, and started to give 'those areas' to Him, the "sins" became easier to give to him as well; without feeling the deep, subconscious need to pick them up again. I did Love God after all. I wanted to give Him every area, I just needed to be made aware of what 'those areas’ really were. ‘Those areas' were not the "acts of sin", but the deeper unconscious pain, trauma and lies that lay beneath them.
Ask God to help you find those deeper areas within you. We truly only love God because He first loved us. The deeper, hidden, subconscious areas of pain and fear within us need to be recognized. Then those areas need to encounter His love, healing and truth. Once those areas are loved by Him, then they can love and trust Him in return.
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